Beautiful Eternity
by E.W.S. Miami
Summary: In this rendition of a Caster Chronicles, we follow Ethan and Lena after the author's Beautiful Redemption. In this book, Ethan struggles with the lost of Amma, as well as the acceptance of a truth, that he has lost his mother and now Amma. This adventure will test both Ethan and Lena, and bring all the books full circle. As always thank you for reading, and please do review. E.W.S
1. Chapter 1

_Who controls the past_

_controls the future._

_Who controls the present_

_controls the past._

- GEORGE ORWELL

**5.04**

**Crossword Puzzles**

If I were to try and remember everything that happened the last couple of years, there would be one problem. I wouldn't be able to tell you the first memory. It was one of the questions that I asked my mom when I was eight. You see my parents were writers and as my mom would put it, 'writing is always a process, you never really know how to start a story or when it finally feels like it comes to an end, all you know is that it is a story that has to be told.' I guess if my life was a story, written down on the pages with someone reading it, I am pretty sure that it would be a pretty boring one. Like reading a medical journal about breeding practices of locusts boring, it was just like everyone else life here in Gatlin South Carolina, that is until the dreams started.

Of course looking now at the sunrise on top of Summerville's plain white water tower, life has gotten much the opposite of boring. I don't know why I come here, but lately I have been running to the one place, the last place that I saw her. It was the day the universe split open and took one of the few people who ever really heard me. A Wayward with no Compass, there are days that I just feel a little bit lost in the middle of a storm.

"Amma," I say lowly. "I brought your favorite, although I need some help on some of them."

I put the half-finished crossword puzzles each from the different newspaper, next to the sharpie heart, placing a rock on top of it. It was one of the things that I know she always enjoyed. No, scratched that, she just didn't enjoy it she found…

'G. R. A. T. I. F. I. C. A. T. I. O. N.'

Thirteen down. The thought of it always made me smile at least for a second, before I realize that I wouldn't hear her voice. She always knew what to say and what to do, even though I was the last to ever understand it, always talking in riddles. Now I do the crosswords every morning, or at least try to. I keep her special #2 pencils sharp and in there drawer, hoping that one day I would hear her again grabbing one, but of course know that it would never happen. They will forever be sharp in the drawer, never used, always waiting.

_Ethan._

I hear her voice as if the sun was bringing it over to me from Gatlin. It was always the perfect way to start the day.

_Morning L_

Her voice sounds all groggy and looking at my watch I know that she is just getting up. Lena was the only reason why I haven't basically lost it. Out of all the people that would understand what I was going through, I know she would. She was the reason that my life went from a boring normal one to something that you would find in the comic book store. It was after all the only place that I knew where they had books of people who had superpowers. All Lena needed was a costume and a probably a cool name and she would be the newest super hero in Gatlin. Well come to think of it, if I didn't know Lena's world, she would be the only super hero that I would know. To Lena though, powers were always just another thing that you have to deal with when growing up a Caster. The world that the mortal world never knew existed was filled with the things of Comic Books, Naturals, Cataclysts, Incubus, and even Sirens, and that was just Lena's family.

I of course only knew Lena as the girl that I dreamt about before I even met. She is the Lena that would put Milk Duds in popcorn because she liked the taste of melted chocolate on salt. She is my Lena.

_Couldn't sleep?_

Some things never change, and although the dreams have stopped, the fact that sleep had always evaded me, now feels like a new normal. Waking up so early that only the Incubuses would be out lurking, and finding my old running shoes already on my feet before I even knew that I would go out running. It was the only thing that helped. Running until my body gave out, until my mind would stop thinking, stop remembering, and focus on one thing, the fact that I was going to collapse sooner than later.

_Tried_

_Why didn't you wake me?_

It was a good question. I was about to do it but after keeping her up four days out of the week, I guess I wanted to just let one of us to have a break.

_It is okay, L. I love you for asking. I do wish you could see what I am seeing right now._

_Told you the view from up there was much better than in the car next to the Water Tower. _

A smile creeps up and I know what she is trying to do. The good memories always outweigh the bad ones. She always knew how to distract me, to get me think of something else. Focus on the one positive thing that you have and put your strength towards that. It was the advice that has gotten me through the worst of it, because it always brought me back to Lena. She was one of the most positive things that I have right now and after being apart from her for so long, I just want to be with her every moment.

_Then why didn't you wake me?_

She must have heard me thinking it, which would normally been embarrassing if she hadn't heard the other thoughts that I was thinking of all those months ago.

_Good question. Wasn't thinking, I guess._

Looking around I see the day is going to be a good one. At least from what I can tell, the weather has been cooperating and we had only had a couple of showers here and there but nothing too bad. I wonder though, how long it would take me to get back to Gatlin.

_Well if you had taken me with you then we would have the car, genius._

_Breakfast?_

_Okay. I will be right there._

There is no one at my house right now to cook breakfast, what with my father spending more and more time at the University. Losing Amma hit him just as hard if not more as it hit me. He told me that he couldn't believe that Amma was gone and that sooner or later she would be back. We couldn't really tell him that she would never be back, never be able to tell him that the sky ripped open and Amma dressed in her black Sunday dress was taken in place of me. I could never tell him that she took my place to keep the Order balanced. I could never tell him things that I had seen, because I sometimes do not even believe that I had seen it to start off.

The walk alongside the road was a welcome changed. At first I thought about waiting at the base of the Water Tower, but after a couple of minutes I thought I might go out for a walk. Walking alongside the road I could feel Lena getting closer. Sticking out my thumb, I hear a car begin to slow down.

"Well mighty nice of you to stop, Ma'am," I say with a smile. Lena sits in hearse with a smile. She clicks the doors open and sliding into the seat, I can feel the warmth of her skin even before I am able to touch her. Her hand touches mine and just like it was yesterday and the day before and the day before, there was nothing but the feeling of her skin.

"Still can't get over it," I say.

_What?_

"How soft your skin feels," I say moving my fingers through hers. The ability to do this is of course new. In the beginning it was just a sharp shock, like licking your finger tips and touching a live wire. Of course like everything that involves Lena, the more her powers became a part of her, the stronger the shock, until we really couldn't touch without almost causing a heart attack. Now that I died and came back, I guess it is true what they say, you can't kill a dead man, and technically that was what I was, even had a grave over at Greenbrier.

Pulling her hand closer to my lips, I kiss the top of it and the way her eyes look at me, it is enough to bring up the butterflies in my stomach.

_Remember, I don't park with guys_

I just let out a laugh.

"Yes," I say. "And you don't sit in the last three rows of the movie theater."

A sharp jab to my arm and her smile disappears. It was our first date, and well who would want to sit where Savanna Snow was or even Emily Asher. The movie theater in Summerville is the nearest one we have to Gatlin and well whenever we get a 'new' release it had already been out for months.

"You hungry or what?" she says turning back to look at the road.

"Lil's Joe?" I say and a small smile comes to her face. Putting the car in drive she pulls away from the road. It was the little restaurant that we would always stop by whenever we would go to the Water Tower in Summerville. It was in the middle between Gatlin and Summerville, or the way we put it, 'the middle between reality and fantasy.' It was the closest thing that we could get to Amma's cooking, and even then it wasn't even close. Of course it was better than my brunt eggs and toast that I experimented that one morning. I don't think that even Harlan James could eat it.

I put my head on the window and just stare out at the trees passing by. Honestly I am not really all that hungry; I guess the thoughts of losing her have my stomach in knots.

I can still feel her fingers in mine.

"You want to talk about it," she says in the silence.

The way her voice sounds, I know that she is concerned about me, and I love her for it.

"I don't really know, how to start," I say.

"Start anywhere," she says. "We got time before we get to Joe's."

"It feels like there is a hole, you know. Almost as if my insides have been broken and my outside is keeping it from falling apart," I say trying to explain it. "It is almost like this road, going to a place that I have no idea where it is. Amma wasn't really the destination but she was the one that kept me on the road. You know."

_Yeah, I sort of know what you mean._

_Your Uncle?_

It felt as it happened yesterday, the fire at Greenbrier, the sharp stab of the knife in my stomach. It was then the coming nothing, the darkness that enveloped everything, feeling as if I was falling under water, being taken to the deepest abyss. Then feeling her fingers, and hearing her voice calling me back. I didn't know until later but Lena had made a trade my life for her Uncles. It was a trade that broke not only our bond, it broke me in half.

My eyes feel the tug of her heart calling me to turn. Slowly my eyes move from the road that is desolate that I wonder if it is even used by people. It is when my eyes lock in with hers that I feel the deep hole being filled.

"You want to know what got me through it?" she says sweetly. She unhooks her fingers from mines and tugs at the charms on her necklace not looking down but feeling it with her fingertips. A small gold ring catches my eye, the way the sunlight bounced off it, the three strands of different colored gold all braided into a wreath. My mother's ring.

I smile at it, knowing the things that I can remember from my mother. It was the smallest things that I remember about my mother, and knowing that Lena still has it, means the world to me.

"Amma told me that you must have loved me something fierce to give me your mother's ring," she says. "It was what gave me the strength when I felt the most alone, because someone at least once loved me enough."

_I still do._

_Well then remember…you have someone who brought you back twice._

It was the one thing that I know for a fact. It is the one sure thing in the massive sea of doubt that can always keep me steady. We love each other and in that certainty everything makes sense.

"Thanks," I say.

"On another note," she says repositioning herself in the seat. "I was going to wait to surprise you but…"

"But what?" I say tentatively. Lena knows how much I love surprises, especially since the last couple that she has shared has been a couple of doozie, 'my family have powers, there are light and dark Casters.'

"I know how much you love surprises," she says mocking me. "The bag on the back seat."

I look back and see her old backpack from school. The ratty old thing has seen many places and has the holes to prove it. Taking it from the back seat she tells me to open it. The way she says it, I know that she had something inside for me. Opening the old zipper, I see inside tons and tons of brochures and maps.

"Got the maps from the Stop and Save," she says. Looking at them, it was maps of New York, Alaska, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Louisiana and even Mexico City. I knew exactly what they were for and why she got them. In my room hung a map that covered one of the walls with push pins and string. I read so many books and wanted to visit so many different places that I had a plan back before I met Lena of going on a road trip the summer before college.

"Doctor Ashcroft gave me all the brochures about what to do when in the places; you know what historic places to visit, places to eat," she says obviously nervous. One the things that she does when she is nervous is ramble on and on, that and bite her lower lip, it is her tell. "There is one place in New York that is said to have the best Fried Mac n' Cheese, and another place in Denver that actually has rabbit and chitlins."

She shivers at the mention of chitlins. One of the few southern dishes that we both agree should never ever be made or eaten. She lets out a laugh and then I stop her.

"Sounds like a plan," I say putting the brochures back in the bag. It was the plan, had it all figured out; finish finally my senior year at Stonewall Jackson, get in the car with Link, my best friend and just drive to New York. Funny how now, I might just get to do it.

_So you like it?_

_Only if you go with me L_

_Seems like we have a road trip to plan_

She turn the corner and there in front of us is the smallest little diner that could made. The first time we stopped here was by accident, looking for a bathroom. Funny thing is that Lena thought it was rest stop. It does its charm; the food is good and always reminds me of Amma. Once closing the door to the car, I walk over to Lena and she holds out her hand. The small steps to the door creaks it small unique sound and even the door has a bell that rings every time it is open is unique.

The waitress is coming out from the kitchen when she sees us. The smile that comes from her face is the same one that always greets us.

"Well if it isn't my favorite couple," she says balancing the plates of food on both her arms. The smell that comes from the kitchen is enough to cause my stomach to grumble. I guess it finally woke up and realized that it was empty. "How y'all been? Noah these are the kids that I been tawking to you bout."

Her accent is so strong that sometimes it is difficult to understand what she is saying, Lena just smiles and nods whenever she doesn't know. I on the other hand lived in Gatlin my whole life and when you live in south long enough you sort of become a translator. My mother would always make me put a dollar for every accent word that I brought back home, the son of two authors can you believe it, there was no swear jar in the house, there was a 'tawking' jar.

Looking over to where Billie Jean was pointing, we see an older gentleman sitting at the counter sipping on what seems to be soup. Soup for breakfast? Well there are some things that you simply cannot explain. He lifts up his head and then turns to us smiling.

Lena's hand goes up just a little to wave.

"Josephine….and," Billie Jean says pointing at Lena and then her finger reaches me and she scrunches her face. "Tip of my tongue…gad-na-bit…wait…don't tell me."

I turn to Lena and she smiles. It was one of the things we did when we first walked into this little diner. It was the first time that people in the diner didn't know who Lena was by her face. People in Gatlin and some in Summerville knew who Lena Duchanne was by her Uncle, Macon Ravenwood, the owner of one of the only standing plantations in Gatlin and Summerville. Here in this small diner, they knew who the Duchannes where as well as the Ravenwoods, but they didn't know that she belonged with them. It did surprise me a little bit when the waitress asked Lena for her name and she said 'Josephine' as if it was second nature, as common as it was the first day she was born. I of course decided to play along and told Billie Jean that my name was…

"Lawson," I say out loud to Billie Jean. She smiles and places the plates on the table that was obviously waiting for their meals.


	2. Chapter 2

**5.04**

**Unexpected Storms**

We became Josephine and Lawson, the two lovebirds from Charleston, passing through Summerville on their way to Gatlin to visit. It wasn't like we were telling anything that wasn't true, Lena's name was really Josephine, and although my first name wasn't Lawson, it was my second name, sort of like Josephine was Lena's second name, we were showing that our second lives were of Josephine and Lawson's. We had even been to Charleston before, so the story was always easier to keep up.

"So what will y'all have today, the usual?" Billie Jean asks. She could easily pass for one of the Sisters, although she is much younger than them, the way she talks and acts is definitely a carbon copy of them.

"Yes," Lena says first and then looking at me, I hand Billie Jean the menu.

"Yes the usual," I say.

She turns and walks back to the kitchen to put in our order. In that time that I finally have the opportunity to spend time with Lena my hand reaches for hers. She of course doesn't hesitate to lace her fingers in with mine. After a couple of seconds of just looking at each other, she lets out a smile. I could never get enough of it, because when I first met her, she smiled so little. Of course it was understandable knowing now what I know about her life, the importance of her claiming and how everything changed when she finally did.

"So," she says like a question.

_Where do you want to go first?_

_Do you think that your Uncle would mind taking his niece on a road trip unsupervised?_

_I already asked and of course there was only one condition._

The condition. Looking at her now I don't have to ask to know what the condition would be. It is funny how I am beginning to know exactly how Macon thinks, especially when it comes to Lena.

"Boo," I say not as a question but as a statement.

She nods and doesn't say anything. It is as if taking ten guard dogs and Macon to spy on every moment of our time together. If it had been anyone else, if I hadn't die, I would have minded, but just to be with her, I would easily spend time with Savanna, Emily, heck the whole Stonewall Jackson Cheer squad if it meant spending a little bit more time with her.

_Is that okay?_

_As long as you are going, don't think I can handle all those hours with just Macon_

I wonder how she brought up the subject. 'Hey Uncle Macon, I want to go on an un-supervised road trip with my older, but now younger because of the claiming, boyfriend, for a couple of days?'

_Wasn't exactly like that, but close. I just told him that we needed time to find ourselves in the world. I guess he understood because he even welcomed the solitude, whatever that means._

The plates are brought out before I can even say another word.

"These two lovebirds," Billie Jean says out loud. "Noah, they spend hours just looking at each other. I mean who does that, heck I cannot look at Horace for more than twenty minutes without yelling at him. I guess if he had two color eyes probably that would help me look at him much longer."

Lena smiles but I know that she is nervous especially when someone comments on the color of her eyes. It was after all what distinguish her from the green colored light Casters and the gold color dark Casters. The first time that we were in here, Lena had to eat with sunglasses. She complained the whole time, kelting that she never could get used to it like Ridley had.

"Lawson what was it that you told me last time," Billie Jean says.

Last time we were here, we had come up with this whole elaborate story on the reason why we were going back to Gatlin. Something to do with Doc Asher trying to see what would cause the different color eyes. Had to ask Miriam on what the human condition of it is called.

"Heterochromia," I say.

"Yeah that," Billie Jean says. "Well it sure is fun to look at Josephine. On your way back to Gatlin?"

"Actually," I says. "We are trying to decide on where to go next. I say Denver, but I don't know where Josephine wants to go?"

"Actually I was leaning towards New York," Lena says. "But honestly I don't know quite yet."

Billie Jean starts to tell me about the few places that she had always dreamed of going. If there is one thing that most of the people in or around Gatlin have in common, is the fact that we all wish we could just get up and go, but something always holds them back. For me people always thought that it was my father, about keeping him from falling apart finally, but honestly it was always Amma. I wanted to make sure that she was going to be alright, even though if she knew this, she would tell me that I was...

'D.E.M.E.N.T.E.D' as in you are demented if you think that I am going to fall apart without you Ethan Lawson Wate.

"You want some," Lena tells me already putting a bite in her mouth. Looking down at the chocolate chip pancakes that she always orders, it reminds me of breakfast in my house when I was five. It was something that my mom always made me, and well after the chocolate chip pancakes ended, she started to give me chocolate milk.

"Never did understand why you always order those," I say getting a small piece from her plate.

"Well kitchen never gets it right, and well living with Gramma, I never got to experience things like this," she says. Putting the hot pancakes in my mouth, it did taste good, and always reminded me of times that I had with my mother. Sometimes I wish that Lena could have met her, I bet they would have gotten along. My mother's love for books, and Lena love for poetry, they probably would have spent whole nights talking about literature.

"So New York huh," I say looking at her. She shrugs and looks out the window at the morning day.

"I had always wanted to go North, seeing how all I have know are the states that succeeded," she says not turning away from the window. It was on a stop along the way. To see if there really was a Illium School of Optometry.

"To be in a constant state of stage fright never knowing what part of life we are going to have to act in next," she says surprisingly as if she was reciting it.

"You read it?" I say.

_Had to. What else was I going to do to pass the time when you were away._

"It isn't Frost, or even Cummings," she says. "But there is some good in it, I can see why you would like it. To be able to fly off to distant planets, to see how life would be if in a different places, I mean we have all wanted to just get up and go, in search of the fresh start."

It was the truth. Most of the books that I love were of that, finding a way to live my life through the eyes of others. To be able to get that fresh start. To actually become the character and be able to move to a new town, and have people judge you on your character and not on what your last name was, or who your relative were. It seems that although we didn't know, Lena and I were very much alike. She always wanted people to judge her by her, and not by the fact that she was a Ravenwood.

"Oh, never this whelming east wind swells; but it seems like the sea's return; to the ancient lands where it left the shells; before the age of the fern; and it seems like the time when after doubt our love came back amain. Oh, come forth into the storm and rout and be my love in the rain," I softly say. My hand grabs hers and something happens. I really don't know how to explain, but it is as if I could feel Lena in a weird way. Before I could ask I start to see her black curls start to uncurl slowly. I start to hear...tap...tap...tap.

Looking outside I see the rain drops hitting the glass. The whole morning that was filled with a sunrise that would rival the most beautiful paintings is now filled with dark clouds and the rain drops of a coming storm. Why would Lena do this, from the curls moving and lack of the sound of the wind chimes, it is definitely a Caster spell and seeing Lena is a Natural she can control the weather.

_L?_

She looks up blushing from the poem, and with a puzzling look in her eyes looks over to the glass. Her hand drops from mines and as her face comes back to mines.

_What is with the change of weather, going to be pretty hard to drive back in the rain._

_What are you talking about, this isn't me._

_L your hair, the curls, are you casting?_

_No._

We start to hear people talk and know that our breakfast will have to be a short one. Billie Jean unknown why we are leaving so fast, especially in this rain. Whatever is going on, if it is not a natural, and if it is not Lena then what or who is it.

"We are use to it," I say putting the money on the table. Helping Lena to her feet, we walk towards the door, and as I open it, I do a quick pass of the people in the diner, and find that the old man, the one that Billie Jean called Noah was looking straight at us. It wasn't as if he happened to look our way, or that the commotion caused him to look, but I think, no I know that he had been looking at us all this time.

Once outside we make a run for the car. The rain that was once seemed to be coming down in a drizzle is now coming down as hard as if there are small hail. Once inside the thud of what I can now see is hail begin to pelt the car hood.

"It isn't me," Lena says immediately. "Probably a storm is just that, a storm."

"Okay," I say lifting my hand to her cheek. Her curls have continued to move inside the still car. Something is going on and although Lena isn't consciously doing it, her body might be doing it. "Then if it isn't you who started it, can it be you who stops it?"

"It doesn't work like that," she says. "If this is a natural storm, there is nothing that I can do to stop it."

"It wouldn't hurt to try," I say.

As soon as the words came out of my mouth all of the sudden the thudding stops and the curls begin to fall on her face. We both look out and see the clouds have begun to dissipate and small peeks of sunshine fight their way through the dark clouds. Lena lets out a sharp breathe and I know that she was holding it in.

"Wow," I say leaning towards the front windshield. The clouds have begun to run away as if someone turned on the light again. I knew Lena was getting stronger by the day but this is amazing. Imagine what she could do if say a hurricane was coming to Gatlin. With this new ability she could easily destroy it before it even makes land.

"Ethan," she says in a voice that borders on fear.

Turning around I see that Lena has turn ghostly white. Her eyes look more brighter than usual if that is at all possible.

"You okay?" I say.

"No," she says closing her eyes. She starts to shake and with both of her hands on the steering wheel she grips it with such a force that her fingertips turn even whiter. "I didn't do anything. It had to be a natural storm."

She closes her eyes, and then I can see her hand move towards the key that is already in the ignition. The car turns on and then opening her eyes, I realize that she just wants it to be a normal storm. It was going to a new place and being Josephine instead of Lena, the desire to start fresh. Probably I am imagining it, it could have been the wind that caused Lena's curls to move. There has been times that storms come and go as quick as that.

The drive is quicker than usual, but this time there is no kelting or even talking. It feels uncomfortable, and I don't know how to The but the weather is more cooperative than usual and after a while the silence just broke, like the rain.

_Ethan?_

The voice is quiet and shy.

_Yea L._

_I guess our summer plans aren't going to happen._

I turn to look at her and see that a tear has already started to trickle. There sits a girl that just wants to be normal at least for a couple of weeks. To not have to think about Light Casters or Dark Casters, to not have to worry about her powers, which probably is scaring the hell out of her. I may have not notice but if it were me, and I felt as if I couldn't control it even after claiming myself, then I know I would need someone to help me through it.

_L, I still want to go, do you?_

_Really, even after all this?_

_Of course, Lena-beana, you know that I just want you to be safe_

_I know_

"Can we just pretend like it didn't happen?" she says. It was like that time that we 'parked' by the water tower. She wanted to be normal, she wanted me to let her be normal, and of course I was so wrapped up in my own thing, the pain of my world falling apart, that I didn't realize that her world was also coming apart, just in a different way. This time, I will not do what I had always done, always wanting to know why things happen. This time I will let Lena be just Lena.

"Like what happened?" I say. There was only one person that I know that wouldn't arouse any suspicion if I were to ask. I know that I can't ask her Uncle without him going all super protective, and well Amma would have been the same way. It only leaves either Miriam or Olivia. "All I remember is watching the sunrise, and having breakfast with the most beautiful woman. That and planning our a road trip."

"We were in the middle of it, although I still don't know where we are going to," she says.

"Some would say that is the best way of traveling," I say remembering something my mother once told me. "The only way to find a new place, is to get lost on purpose. But I think we had already decided on a place. Didn't you want to see New York?"

"Really?" She says with her voice perking up. It was as if I was letting her be what she had always wanted to be...normal.

"Yeah really," I say. "We can check out Central Park, eat a hot dog on the steps of the Met, travel to the top of the Empire State Building, you know, all the things that you do the first time you go."

I was talking and she was just listening. It was when I felt something new, well the way I felt it was new, I could feel that she loved me more now than what she did before. I didn't think it was possible to know without a doubt of a person's true feeling, but I gave up trying to think of what was possible and what wasn't with Lena. With Lena, it was always possible.

She drops me off at Wate's landing. The new wind chimes that Lena gave me dance in the open kitchen window. You could hear it all the way from the driveway, it was that or she would help me put up all the bottles again on the tree. I tell you the things that Amma did, although it looked silly from the outside, it was always for our protection.

Looking at the house now, it just looks like a house, nothing really all that special. Before you could see Amma cooking and sometimes even dancing, although she would never admit it, I caught her a few times. Now the windows are open but there is no one there. The new car my father bought to go to his teacher job is now gone. The only thing there is old Volvo my mom use to drive.

Turning around she knows what I am thinking.

"It will get better," she says.

I lean in and kiss her ever so lightly. It was the way we had never been able to kiss before. Before, I had to be like a thief and steal kisses, quickly and passionately before my heart stopped. Now that we can touch, I can take my time to let her know just how much I love her. As our lips touch, I can feel her the warmth of her touch. It wasn't so much that I wanted to let know, but she wanted to let me know the same way. We finally come up for air, not from the shock, but from the intensity of the emotion behind it.

"Hmm," she says opening her eyes. "You want me to wait for you?"

"No it is okay," I say.

"I will go home and pick some things up," she says looking at her watch. "In an hour?"

I nod. Getting out of the car, I see her drive away. Turning around I start the walk up to the house that so many Wates have lived in. Now this Wate is on its way to a new adventure, an adventure with the woman that he loves.


	3. Chapter 3

**5.04**

**The Beginning**

Boxes and boxes. Funny how looking in my closet all I see is shoe boxes. It wasn't that I had many different shoes; really all I had was probably two or three sneakers and one dress shoes for special occasions. The boxes that I had in my closet were places that I kept special things. A whole shoebox full of college brochures that I wanted to see. It is funny because it is in the many cities that we were going. There was the white shoebox that had all of my lighters, the green box with gun casings that I had found with my mom at Fort Sumter.

'Where are you?'

I scan the different colors of boxes until my eyes finally find the yellow Nike box. It was the box that I had designated for all things Lena. Looking at it the inside of the box, I see the old ticket stub of our first date, to the lame poetry that I was trying to write, to writings of the dreams that I had prior to meeting her. I even had a petal from the jasmine with a small piece of rosemary rolled up in the handkerchief that was Amma's Aunt Sullas. Taking out a small duffle bag, I put it in there along with some other little things, before I even get the clothes for the trip. It is then that I see a very small disc.

Picking it up, I look at it. It is obvious that it is one of Ammas, from the way whatever was written has been rubbed off. I guess she must have slipped it in this box before she died.

Stopping, I try to think back. Have I opened this box since that day that I took out the locket? I mean I must have, how else would I have put this picture that Lena and I took just a couple of weeks ago while at Lake Moultrie. I guess I must have missed it. Don't know why, but looking at it, I put it in my bag, zipping it closed.

It couldn't hurt to have some sort of protection, especially after what happened this morning.

Walking around, I close all the windows of the top floor, making sure that no one mortal or not could get inside. The little dolls on the windows made sure of that. Neither my father, nor I had the heart to take down the little dolls. My father till this day believes that one day Amma will walk back through the door, and he says that better to leave it up than have to face Amma when she finds out we took them down.

As I am walking to the bathroom, I hear a knock coming from the downstairs. Looking out the window I don't see Lena's car, and if it was Lena coming to pick me up, she knows she never needs to knock. There is it again, a knocking at the front door.

"Coming," I say from the top of the stairs. I tug on my shirt that I had the forethought of changing before I started to pack. If it was someone at the door, I still have to show them the typical southern hospitality. It was what Amma would do, even if it was Mrs. Lincoln at the front door. Good thing that it can't be Mrs. Lincoln, as she is at her weekly Daughters of the Revolution meeting, out to save Gatlin from the likes of the Ravenwoods.

There at my porch stands the one girl that I could definitely call a close friend. With her faded rip jeans and her grey that use to be black Pink Floyd shirt, it was always nice to see Liv, even if it is for a little time.

Olivia Durand came to Gatlin a couple summers back to be Aunt Miriam research assistant. Little did I know that both my Aunt Miriam and Olivia were hiding a secret and not only was Aunt Miriam a librarian, but a Keeper, and Olivia was a Keeper in training. Gatlin didn't only have one library that housed all the ban books that Mrs. Lincoln is always trying to get rid of, but also a vast underground network of Caster books and whole worlds, and my Aunt Miriam was the Keeper of knowledge for the Gatlin Branch of the Lunae Libri.

"Hey there Liv," I say opening the door. "It is nice to see you out and about the land of the living."

"Ethan it is always a pleasure to see you as well," she says handing me something. I sit down on the porch steps and begin to open the sealed envelope. Looking up Liv is just standing there, waiting for me to offer her a place to sit. I pat the space next to me, and with a smile she sits down next to me.

"We didn't know if Lena had told you about our little research project. Professor Ashcroft had given Lena all of the sights to see, but of course I told Professor Ashcroft that you probably rather see what makes the town what it is, the things that aren't on a map," she says rambling on and on. Before I can say thank you for all this, she continues talking. "…so I found all these little places to go and wanted to make sure that you got this before you leave."

The way she says it, it is as if she is sad to realize it.

"Liv…it is only for a couple of days," I say nudging her.

"I know that," she says.

I grab the research materials. Everything is hand written and with maps of where things are. Small tucked away things to do, and hole in the way restaurants to try, it was all here from the East Coast. It was her way of saying that she would miss me here. I never quite understood why she stayed even though her training to become a Keeper of the Lunae Libri, had ended because of me. She had been helping Aunt Miriam in the Gatlin Library, making sure that the books that had to re-ordered are all properly cataloged and placed in their rightful place. She would sometimes help Macon, Lena's Uncle, with his research about the New Order.

"Well ...make sure to take lots of pictures," she says brushing off what I just said. It was hard for Olivia to make friends, just like it was hard for Lena. She starts to turn around and as she do, I reach out to grab her arm.

"Hey Liv," I say. She turns and looks at me. I wonder if I could ask her. If anyone would know what happened earlier this morning, it would be her, or my Aunt Miriam. I know that Lena doesn't want to make a big fuss over something that probably isn't anything, but probably she can just confirm that it wasn't a big deal. "Umm…thanks for this."

"It is the least I could do," she says. "And you are not fooling anyone Ethan. What is it that you really want to say? Come on now, I don't have all day, you know I do have a life other than books and you and Lena."

"That is the thing," I say. "Have you ever heard of a Caster who uses their power without them knowing? Like their body is on autopilot and the person is unaware of what is going on."

She looks at me unsure of what I am saying. It does sound a little bit too out of the realm of reality but I was thinking that anything that sounds too unreal in the Caster world would be something that she would have a theory about.

"Hmmm," she says thinking taking out her notebook. Flipping a couple of pages she starts to point at some scribbling that she did. "I did read something a while back in the 'Ante laborum initium.' It is a history book of what people theorize might have happened before the Casters were Casters and before Mortals were Mortals."

"You mean like 'In beginning' type of things...?" I say trying to keep up. Liv was always a smart person, but sometimes when she starts talking about the Caster world; it becomes difficult to understand it in Mortal terms.

"Precisely," she says. "This book speaks of a time before the Lunae Libri, before the Order. It was all in theory of course and no one really knows who wrote the book, it isn't signed or anything. We only just found bits and pieces of it and even then all we have really are photographs. Of course it was always a myth, never really proven, I mean if it were true, can you imagine the consequences."

"Liv," I say interrupting her rambling. "You make just enough sense to me as a Japanese does to a deaf person. Start from the beginning and speak in English."

"That is the thing," she says. "Ethan, it is 'The' beginning, before the Order was created, there was Fate, no checks or balances, no Light or Dark Casters. There was no good or evil, there was only pure energy. There wasn't even Waywards, because there wasn't any need for them."

Before Waywards. It was what Aunt Miriam had said I was. That I was special person that had a great purpose connected or bond to a powerful Caster to show them the way. Aunt Miriam always told me that Waywards were rare, and even though I know now that I am one, I never really felt any different.

"You are sure," Olivia says stopping herself from continuing explaining what was before the Order. "About a Caster casting without them knowing?"

"I don't know, maybe?" I say unsure.

"Can you tell me the specifics?" she says. "It is as if I am giving a diagnosis of a plague because of the sniffles. Is it Lena?"

"One minute I was telling Lena about the rain, and then it just started raining. It was probably just a coincidence," I say blurting it out.

"Sounds like it," Liv says. "A coincidence I mean."

"But that is the thing I was looking at Lena and saw her curls were waving when there was no wind," I say. "I don't know, I thought it could it be that she was casting. I asked her but she told me flat out that it wasn't her. Probably I am seeing things that aren't there."

She takes out her notebook and starts to scribble something in it. Olivia always took notes when it was something important. If I said something to cause her to scribble something in her notebook then it is something important. She stands up and puts her notebook back into her bag.

"What?" I say anxious. Don't I just love the fact that both Lena and Liv keep notebooks that I could never read.

"Just some notes," she says. "I would have to do some research."

I hear the horn of a car, and see Lena pulling up in the Fastback. It isn't an odd thing to see me and Liv talking on my front yard. If it were a couple of years ago, it would have gotten Lena jealous, but I know that she feel confident about our relationship.

"Liv," I say quietly. "No one can know. Okay? Promise me that you will keep this between us."

She looks at Lena waving, walking up to the side of the car.

"Dropped off some more places where you can experience the essence of a place," she says to Lena. Lena tells her thanks and makes sure to tell her to say hi to John for her. They start talking about John and how she is enjoying his company. Turning around I pick up my duffle bag and walk towards the car.

"You need a ride somewhere Olivia," I say.

"No no," she says pointing to the nearby car. "Making deliveries, you know how Mrs. Lincoln loves her 'packages.' But you two have fun, but not too much that you would consider a change in permanent residency."

I open the door and toss the duffle bag in the back seat.

"May I?" Liv says looking over to Lena. Before I could even look at Lena to see what they were talking about, Liv's arms are around me. I of course freeze and keep my hands up.

"Promise," Liv says and then let's go of me. "Promise me, that you will take pictures and have lots of fun?"

"We will," Lena says. It wasn't really what Liv was trying to say, it was that she promises not to say this to anyone. I know that I can trust Liv to keep her word; she had always been a good friend. Sliding into the car seat, I smile at Lena.

_You ready?_

Her hand is already there waiting for mines. I grab it and she kisses my palm. I take the opportunity and pull her in which of course she doesn't object. I kiss her for a couple of minutes, trying to feel every inch or her lips with mines.

_If you don't stop we will never leave._

I smile and can feel her smile as our lips still touching. I could stay here for days and it wouldn't matter, but I know how much Lena wants to get on the road.

"Okay, okay," I say looking around. "Where is our chaperone?"

Looking at the backseat, all I see is my duffel bag and her small suit case. I don't think Boo would be comfortable riding in the trunk of the car. Could it be that we are alone?

"One of the downside of having to take this car, is that Boo doesn't really quite fit," she says. It was probably her way of letting us go by ourselves. "Only thing though, Boo will still be coming but on his own time."

_Doesn't matter, as long as you are going with me_

She puts the gas to the car, and as we drive through Route 9, I can see all the houses that I probably won't see for a couple of weeks. In the distance I can see the high school that we spent two years in, and even the library that Aunt Miriam is probably at right now. I will have to make sure to tell my father that we finally let when we first make a pit stop. He is due to be back in Gatlin at the end of the summer and knew that I was considering on going somewhere with Lena.

"Where should we stop?" Lena asks.

It is a good question. I mean we could try and drive all the way through to New York, but that would be almost a full day of driving. The maps were on the dashboard of the car. Taking out the large map of the coast line, I start to look at the States between Gatlin and New York. North Carolina is only a couple of hours away and we have been there sometimes.

'Virginia'

Something about the State of Virginia that catches my attention.

"What about Virginia," I say. "It is about six hours or so from here and it is about half way up to New York."

"Any place in particular in Virginia," she says looking over.

Closing my eyes, I put my finger over the map. She of course lets out a laugh.

"Using your Wayward powers?" she says.

"Well it hasn't steered us wrong yet," I say opening my eyes; I see my finger has landed squarely on Harrisonburg. Don't know much about Harrisonburg, but it is near Richmond, and Fredericksburg.

"So," she says in anticipation. "Where are we stopping?"

"Let's stop in Fredericksburg," I say. "It's on the way pass Richmond on 95."

It is a straight shot up 95 through North Carolina and into Virginia. Looking at the skies, it looks as blue as I had ever seen it. The clouds are just a distant thought in my mind; all that matters is that now we are on the road just the two of us.

"We should be there by this evening," she says.

"You know I had always wanted to take a horse carriage ride through Fredericksburg," I say. "My mom once told me that my dad took her on a carriage ride."

"Sound so romantic," she says.

"Hardly," I say. "He was trying to impress my mother and well let's just say that he didn't have an umbrella and the weather wasn't really cooperating with him."

She looks at me.

_Don't get any ideas_

_What?_

I smile and she just narrows her eyes at me. I guess I will have to be a little bit more careful on what I think about. Can't really think about the Stonewall Jackson basketball plays now can I?

_No you can't_

I start to think about the books that I had remembered. The time that I went over to the Gatlin Library to see how Aunt Miriam was doing. It was a couple of weeks after coming back from 'visiting my aunt.' That was the story that Lena told everyone that didn't know the truth. That I spent almost an entire year away with my Aunt in Savannah, that I wasn't really buried in Greenbrier with a nameless tombstone.

"You okay, Ethan?" Aunt Miriam asks me as I start to scan the books still in the stack. It is the odd thing to see so many new books about the oldest subjects around.

"Yeah, just getting my sea legs back," I say picking up a book.

'A book of unusual poetry'

Cracking the cover I start to leaf through the different poems and find that some catch my attention. It wasn't until I read almost the middle that I find out that I stop to read.

_The living come with grassy tread_

_To read the gravestones on the hill;_

_The graveyard draws the living still,_

_But never anymore the dead._

_The verses in it say and say:_

"_To one who living come today_

_To read the stones and go away_

_Tomorrow dead will come to stay."_

_So sure of death the marbles rhyme,_

_Yet can't help marking all the time_

_How no one dead will seem to come._

_What is it men are shrinking from?_

_It would be easy to be clever_

_And tell the stones: Men hate to die_

_And have stopped dying now forever._

_I think they would believe the lie._

Looking over to Lena, I wonder how it was when I died. Who would have come, when no one could know? It is then that I see it. It is faint, but a small tear rolled over her cheek trying to find her chin.

"Frost," she says out loud. "It was the only one I could find that would make sense to me. That you weren't actually gone."


	4. Chapter 4

**5.04**

**The Motel off 95**

'How much can my body go without sleep?' This was the title of my science project when I was in 9th grade. It was simple enough, how long can I go without sleeping. It was a couple of weeks after my mom had died and I couldn't close my eyes without seeing the casket. All I can remember is the white lilies that I put on her grave. It was the hardest moments that I could remember, that I wish I could forget.

The answer of course was almost five days. I finally passed out for almost the entire day and still woke up tired. It was the first time that Amma started to put the small little dolls all around my room. Before she would only put them on the doors downstairs. She became the one who kept me together, who kept me safe. This time around, after Amma died, sleeping became another luxury. Running became my way of coping, and after a couple of days of not being able to sleep, the car seat of the Fastback was the most logical place to pass out. I guess being with Lena, I felt safe enough to close my eyes. Little did I know what was in store for me when I finally did.

_The day is unusually cold, which of course never helped the fact that I could barely feel my feet. We had been marching for days and many of the older of our regimen had fallen because of the green disease. It sneaks up on you and at first it is just a cut, but then when it is infested the fever gets you. After losing Gettysburg we marched without stopping, without food, without sleeping for days. Kevin Mason didn't tell us this when he came into our town hall looking for people to sign up for the war. If we had known how much it would cost, I am pretty sure they would strung up good old Kevin Mason right where he stood. _

"_Man, I can barely wiggle my toes." _

_The solider next to me says hitting his boot. Everyone doesn't turn around, and no one makes a sound, but of course everyone knows what it is. I think he told me that he is from Raleigh but who can remember when all you think about every day is trying not to die by a bullet or by diseases. _

"_Here…clean your feet."_

_Handing him the last of my water, it was the right thing to do. If there were two things that you kept close to yourself is a pair of dry socks and clean water. After we found out that the Union Soldiers had poisoned the water, we saw our numbers fall like the ash from the burnings. _

"_Company mail call"_

_The conversations ended and they all looked at the young boy that carried the letters of hope, of love, for the men of the First Corps. _

"_Strahom…"_

_Strahom died two days ago on the road from the green disease. It was nothing the doctor could do to help him. It had reached his heart, and just as he slept he didn't wake up. _

"_Thomas…."_

_Thomas fell in Gettysburg, bullet ripped a whole through his neck, and the blood temporary blinded everyone on the line. It was the worst I had seen that day. The only thing that I could think of, the only person that I could think of…_

"_Wate…"_

_They hand me a small brown package. My hands tremble because I see the handwriting, the long loops of my name in her hand, it was what I loved the most, the way she showed me just how much in the smallest ways. I tear the package open and find a small letter and something in a brown pouch. Opening the letter, I could hear her voice; see her there in the study writing, taking the time to put her voice in words._

"_January 24, 1864_

_My dearest Ethan,_

_I pray my words reach your eyes. Every night that you are not here, is as if the winter approaches quicker and quicker. The smell of lemons always reminds me of you and our times together. The time that we had together I fear that I would never get back, never get to hold your hand again, to feel your heartbeat as I lay my head on your chest. If we are to be lost, then know my heart will always be yours and only yours. I will forever carry your heart near mines. _

_When you find that you are lost and cannot find your way, remember to point it towards home and you will find me there waiting for you._

_Always waiting,_

_Genevieve"_

_The small leather pouch feels heavy in my hands. Looking at it from the outside I see the brown leather has a small embroidery of a bird on one of its corner. Opening it discretely I take out what Genevieve had just risk sending me. She must have paid the carrier not to steal it; it would be the only way to it to me. The brass compass is smooth and small enough to fit in my hand. On the cover lies an engraving. _

'_ECW & GKD'_

_Our initials engraved together as if it would be like that forever. On the inside lens was etched 'Greenbrier the way home', it was the way to her, my one true north star. One day, we will be together even if it is not in this world, we will finally be together and never be apart._

_Looking up to see the sun, it is as if I could smell the lemon trees, as if I could still hear the way her voice sounded calling my name._

_Ethan._

_Ethan._

_Ethan._

"Ethan!" I hear her calling my name. My eyes fling wide open and for a second I am confused. Where am I, who am I? My eyes begin to focus and I see a green eye and a gold eye staring back at me.

"Lena?" I say a little bit woozy.

"Sleepy head, you slept the whole way here," she says opening the driver side door. Tilting the driver side seat she removes her bag from the back seat.

Did I sleep the whole way? What was it three hours since I fell asleep? What was that? I start to move and feel something odd; my feet seem to have fallen asleep. I take my foot and after a couple of seconds I feel the tingly sensation on the bottom of my feet. Turning a little I see the green doors of motel rooms. Opening my door I step out of the car and can see that the sun is beginning to set on the day.

"Nice of you to finally get up," Lena says smiling walking over towards a hallway in front of me. "We are in #6 over there. Get the food from the back seat, while I get the drinks from the machine."

Turning back I see the two bags of fast-food on the back seat and my duffel bag. It is then that the car keys in the ignition catch my eyes. Reaching I take the keys and slip them in my pocket. Closing the door, I have in hand the food and my duffel bag. Could it have been a dream? It felt so real; almost as if I was there not only seeing it, but it was as if I was the one experiencing it.

There are only a few cars in the parking lot and from what I can tell; the few people that are here are just stopping for the night.

'8…7…6'

I open the door and inside I see the room which time forgot. The furniture looks like something that the Sisters would enjoy or probably did enjoy when they came. Putting the food on the table I drop my duffel bag and look at the two beds staring at me. The bed is somewhat comfortable. Lying down on the bed I look up at the popcorn ceiling. The water stains on the ceiling replace the blue ceiling of my room.

"Sorry," I hear someone say from the door. "This is all they had."

I look over and see Lena holding two very odd looking drinks. Here I thought she meant the beds and what she really meant was the drinks.

"That is fine," I say making reference to the drinks. "Sorry about falling asleep all that time."

"It is okay," she says lying next to me. She curls up next to me and feeling her near me I reminded of the days right after Amma died that Lena would stay with me throughout the night. Nothing really happened; it was mostly just to talk and to let me finally fall asleep.

"So here we are, in the middle of no-where Virginia in a rundown motel off 95 with a broken vending machine that only gets you this weird Moxie soda, no matter how much change you put in or how hard you bang on the other buttons," she says laughing. "Is it like you dreamed?"

"Actually no," I say. "It is better. I have you with me."

She sits up on the edge of the bed which of course causes me to grab her by the waist.

"No no," I say. "Just stay here; we hardly ever have time to ourselves."

"You're not hungry?" she says looking over her shoulder at me. "We didn't stop for lunch and I am starving."

Oddly enough, I am not really hungry. It seems that weird dreams take the appetite right out of you. I finally let her go to get the food. But when she stands up, she starts to pat her pant pockets. Looking back onto the bed she quickly scans the top, and then scans over the table.

"Oh no," she says heading for the door.

"What's wrong?" I say.

"I must have left the keys inside the car," she says turning back for a quick second. "The doors automatically lock after a couple of minutes."

I smile and put my hands into my pants. I feel around my pocket and find the keys as well as something else. Pulling out both things I open my hands to see keys and something else. Lena comes over to the keys and grabbing them she takes the other thing.

"This is nice, where did get this?" she says lifting it up to the light. In her hand what a very small leather pouch. She turns it around in her hand looking at the intricate stitching.

'It can't be'

She looks at it for a little bit, and then looks up at me. Realizing that I am probably not breathing, I finally speak, hoping that it isn't true.

"Is there a bird embroidered on the corner?" I ask.

"Umm yea," she says. "Wouldn't you know if it was yours?"

She hands it to me. The feel rings to be familiar although I have never held in my hands. The only one who did was Ethan Carter Wate. It is as if I was there holding it, I can feel the way he felt when he held it. This is different from the visions before.

"What do you know about Genevieve?" I ask.

"What does that have to do with the pouch?" she says.

"She sent it to Ethan," I say. "Ethan Carter Wate."

She sits down unsure. It is a lot to take in, especially when it just happened to me. The thing is that our life has never been normal. Last time we found an item from Ethan and Genevieve it brought on the visions of Ethan's death and what Genevieve did to bring him back. It was the visions that spoke of a curse, the curse that was laid on the Duchannes family tree. Our ancestors were always causing us problems, and now it is no different. Lena's mother Sarafine found Lena by the visions and now the fear has to be that this small insignificant thing would bring someone else looking for us.

"Had a dream or what I thought was a dream," I start. "Ethan's regime was marching somewhere and he received a package from Genevieve, a letter and a compass. The compass came in this pouch."

This of course didn't sit well with Lena. The mere thought of a dream, brings back our dreams, the ones that we haven't had in a while, the ones of someone dying. For me it brings a sense of danger, because of the people who are in the dreams, the fact that it is our ancestors doesn't reject the fact that someone might be putting these dreams, and if that is true, it can only be a Dark Caster.

As if she can read my thoughts Lena stands and walks over to the window, moving the heavy curtain just a little to see if anyone was around. The way she stands there, it is as if she could feel something changing.

"What?" I say.

"Nothing," she says. "Feels different you know."

"What do you think it means?" I ask trying to make sense of it. Why would someone show me the events that lead to what we already know? In the end Ethan deserts his regime travels back to Gatlin and then finally gets shot and killed by Union Soldiers.

"I don't know," she says. "For all we know that pouch was already in your pocket and you just forgot that it had an embroidered bird on it."

"It wasn't in my pocket," I say obviously annoyed by the fact that she doesn't believe me. "The dream wasn't something that I just remembered; it wasn't even something that I imagined. I wasn't there, but it felt like I was. Look, I know that you are scared, but I am just trying to find out what this means."

She folds her arms and begins to walk away from me.

"The last time I saw Ethan Carter Wate…" I say stopping and then trying not to remember what I had always wanted to forget. It was a moment where I almost didn't make it. Seeing him there at the Far Keep, knowing that he made the same attempt to reach the Caster Chronicles and failed, it was something that I had to deal with, something that I am still dealing with. Knowing that Genevieve and Ethan would never be together, that my great-great-great-great Uncle tried to rip off Genevieve page, to remove the curse, it still just rips my heart in two. Looking at Lena, I promised myself then and still do, to never leave her like that.

"When…" her hands now on mines.

"When I was at the far keep," I say. "He tried Lena. He sacrificed his eternity for hers, after he died, he didn't just stay, he ventured just like I did to the Far Keep, to the Caster Chronicles to try and lift the curse, to try and rip out Genevieve's mistake. It was his last attempt and he failed."

Her hand now grabs the pouch rubbing it with her fingers. I can feel her hands in mines, the warmness of it all. She must have known how hard it was for me to leave him there.

"The thing that I don't get is how?" I say trying to understand it. "How is it possible that Ethan Carter Wate sent me this through a dream?"

"Could be the same way I got the black stone to you," she says.

It was what I had already forgotten. The fact that I asked for her charm and how it passed from the land of the living to the Other World, it could have been, but who would have sent it? Could Ethan have? There are more questions than answers, and of course the moment I answer one, a dozen more pop into my mind.

_L. _

_I know, but this time we can figure it out together._

Thud…thud…thud…

Lena looks over to the door. It sounds almost like a knock. She looks through the peep hole.

"No one is there," she says turning around. I walk over to the door and looking out I see no one at all. Then all of the sudden we hear it again.

Thud…thud…thud…

I move the curtain and see a black bag against the door. It isn't until it moves that I know exactly who it is. I mouth the words, 'Boo' to Lena as not to let her know without saying alerting him that we know. Lena is opening the door, when I remember the time I brought in the locket into Ravenwood. The dog immediately felt the magic in it and reacted almost as if it was an enemy.

"Lena," I say as she is turning the door knob. "The pouch."

She realizes exactly what I am saying and closes the door again. I get in front of the door, and she moves without saying a word to my duffel bag. Unzipping it she stuffs it inside.

"Ready," I ask.

She nods and then sits on the chair.

Opening the door, the dog / wolf decides to walk in, and looks straight at me almost as if it knows that I closed the door on him.

"Hey it wasn't me," I say lifting up my hands.

"Boo," Lena says calling to the dog. It wags it tail and walks over to Lena putting its head up to be petted. Lena starts to scratch his ears and then opens up the bag of cold fast food. "You want some fries?"

Putting it on the ground the dog just looks at it for a second before looking back at Lena.

"This is all we have," she says. "Sorry."

He starts to shake his head and a note finally flies off his collar and falls to the ground. Lena scoops down and picks up the message. Reading the first couple of lines she stands and walks over to me, handing it to me. The writing is as elegant as the words that are written on the thick parchment paper.

'_Mr. Wate, _

_If you could be so kind as to give your Aunts a phone call, it would be greatly appreciated. Olivia has asked me to relay the message. You can find the number where your Aunts will be at the bottom of this letter. Boo will make sure that your time with my niece is enjoyable. You will find that he can be a very lovely addition to your excursions. _

_Macon'_

Lena of course rolls her eyes at the mention of Boo being a 'lovely addition.'

"My Uncle can sometimes," she says and then stops when she sees Boo's ear go up.

…_be a pain_

I smile and grab her hand.

_Think he can read our thoughts?_

_Doubt it, I have sent lovely thoughts to him before and he never responded._

_So what will we do about…you know._

_Let's see what tomorrow brings, call your Aunts._

Picking up the receiver I start to dial the number that looks foreign to me. Where would the Sisters be, and why would they be calling me from this number. It rings a couple of times before I hear a familiar voice on the other side of the phone.

"Hello," the voice says.

"Hello Aunt Grace," I say.

"Ethan," Liv says on the other side. "I am terribly sorry to have to do this, but you did tell me not to mention the situation with Lena and since you never left me a forwarding number to call you at."

"I know, I know Aunt Grace," I say. "I am so sorry that I did not call you earlier than today. Were you able to find Aunt Mercy's glasses?"

I cover the receiver and look at Lena, she just gives me a smile and walks back to Boo.

"Ethan are you still there?" Liv asks.

"Yes, sorry," I say. "Lena says hello. We just got into Virginia. Going to stay for the night before making an early break tomorrow for the Big Apple."

"Well if I understand you correctly Lena is there and we going to have to talk in code," Liv says. "But really I think you need to tell her Ethan. The research I found is not looking good, the Ante laborum initium, is missing pages but it speaks of a transuerso influentiae, or a reversal of influence, and from what I can translate, there will be a time when we will not have any choice. I put in your bag the location of the nearest Lunae Libri. The one in New York, I should be able to get there in two or three days. Please Ethan, tell Lena that it is important that we make sense of this, if it is as serious as I can assume."

With that the receiver clicks and the silence fills the room. There will be a time when will not have any choice, the statement echoes and grips my throat as if to suck out the life from me.

"How is Liv," Lena says passing by.


	5. Chapter 5

**5.05**

**A wrong turn**

Sometimes silence isn't your best friend. Lying there on the one of the beds looking at Lena, her eyes looking back at me, I wonder what she is thinking. Boo of course is sleeping right in the middle in between the beds so any movement towards Lena's bed would be met with a growl. I don't think Lena would want me there anyways, but I hope that she will at least let me explain.

_L._

Her eyes just look at me. The moon light shines in through the closed curtains. The gold and the green just stares at me, which I think is the worst for me, because it is as if I don't feel her anymore.

_Please can I just at least explain?_

_Go, explain_

Her voice is short and angry but at least there is hope, that she can still let me talk to her.

_The truth is that I am scared. _

_Of what?_

_With Amma gone, my dad not at home, and my mom, you were the only one that I had that I could talk to. I know that Link would be there to listen, but it isn't the same you know. I had never felt so close to someone before and well when I lost you a year ago, it felt like I lost myself. _

The intensity in her eyes finally lessens, or at least I hope it does. She blinks a little bit more softly and I can see her lips loosen from her strong grip.

_It doesn't change the fact._

_I know L._

_I have to be able to trust you Ethan. If it is true, if I was casting without knowing, do you know how that feels? To not be in control? To not know what you are capable of? It was that constant fear that I had in the pit of my stomach at every school from the moment I was told of what I could do, at every moment, trying to keep it together, not knowing when it would finally come crumbling down. _

She is right. I didn't know, what this would mean to her. I couldn't understand what it is like to be a ticking time bomb and never really knowing when it would go off. It was hard enough just being me, but to have the ability to do what she does and never really having control.

_L, you can't pretend like nothing is happening, whatever happens we will get through this together, I am not going anywhere. _

I reach out my hand reaching for hers. This is it, the moment of truth for us. I know that my intentions where only to protect her, it had always been to protect her. I love her and only want her to be safe. Her hand already in front of her mouth as if unsure, finally after a couple of seconds move across and grabs onto mines.

_I am sorry L._

_I know Ethan; we will talk about it tomorrow when we have fewer ears around us._

Her gaze goes down to the Wolf / Dog that had lifted his gaze to see what we were doing. Doesn't Boo ever sleep, it is as if we are on a prison lock-down and the guards are always on patrol.

She closes her eyes but doesn't draw back her hand. The only difference between then and know is that we have a better understanding of each others intentions.

I don't know when it was that I fell asleep, or how long I had been sleeping, all that I can be sure of is that there were no nightmares or freaky visions. My hand was empty when I woke up and even the bed that Lena was sleeping in was already made up. It is then that I feel a hand on the back of my head.

"We got to get going," Lena says whispering. "I have let you sleep in long enough."

Turning around I see her that just looking at me. It is as if I am in a dream, the way she smiles at me. She leans in and then kissing me on the lips, it feels a little different. The intensity behind it, burns my lips, and causes me to lose my breath, like being in a trap burning room, the oxygen being sucked out. Opening my eyes, I see that the person who is on top of me is not Lena, but someone else.

My arms immediately come up to the person's shoulder to push her off. The bright gold colored eyes look deep into my own. I don't know how but finally I am able to push her off me. It is then that I am able to get a good look at her. The hair goes from the black curls that I just saw, to a dark reddish hair. Her face changes from what was Lena's to someone who looks more angular, and tighter than usual.

Walking over to the mirror that is hanging on the wall, she looks at herself checking out the new image that is reflected.

"Yes, that is much better," she says.

Her hand comes up to her lips to wipe it off. Taking out a lipstick she puts on the bright red color. Turning around she finally looks at me and smiles.

"Eh, I have had better," the person says. "Here I was expecting an earth moving event from what they were tell me, and all I get is a small tremor."

The way she acts, reminds me of Ridley, although at least Rid had some sort of good in her. This person I can tell has no good in her. She sits on the dresser, crossing her legs. The knee high boots draws the attention to the tip which has a red sole underneath.

"Who the hell are you?" I say standing to face her. Looking around I don't see Lena, or Boo, actually I don't see anything but the bed, and the old night stands from the motel. It is as if the room is not really there, and it is a fluid motion of color and items.

"Hmm," she says putting up a hand to her head. "I wonder if I could tell you now, or would…. it mess things up. It is so fortunate though that you are a clueless mortal. If you only knew what you were capable of..."

Hopping down from the dresser, she looks up towards the ceiling as if she is hearing something. I look up and then looking down I see that she is gone. It is then that the room starts to shake and then I am jolted awake.

"Hey hey," Lena says before tossing what I think is water onto me.

I start to splutter before standing off the bed. Looking over to the bed I see the burned sheets, the burned mattress. What the hell is going on? She grabs my hand and pulls me towards the door and into the car. She runs around and then slamming the door she peels out of the parking lot, just as the sirens of the fire trucks start to come into range. She lets up on the gas and slows to the speed limit as the trucks just pass by us towards to what I believe is the motel.

"What happened?" I say.

"Don't know," she says muttering. "It is impossible."

The drive through 95 towards a side that said "Welcome to Spotsylvania County, Crossroads of the Civil War." Never heard of the town of Spotsylvania, but that doesn't surprise me, all these small towns spring up surrounding were filled with yellow colored plants that seem to extend all the way to the distant purple mountains. The large plots of land extend throughout the old colonial houses that look like thy have been standing since the War.

"Lena," I say looking over to her. "What happened back at the Motel, who burned the bed?"

She turns the wheel pulling over the car. I can see from the way her hands are shaking that something happened and she can't bring herself to say. If this was her, then it wasn't her fault, she couldn't have meant to burn the Motel, to cause the fire that has started to engulf the whole place.

"It will be okay," I say trying to reassure her.

"No," she says. "It won't. I don't understand it."

"You didn't mean it…" I start to say before I am interrupted.

"No, Ethan," she says. "You don't understand, it wasn't me."

I look at her confused. It doesn't make any sense. If it wasn't her, then it must have been another Natural or worst another Cataclyst. Could it be that we are being chased again by someone who wants to use Lena again to bring the end of the mortal world?

"If it wasn't you," I say looking out of the window for any signs that we are being chased. "Then who?"

The silence is as if we have just come to the calm before the storm. After a second, I turn back to see her expression, to see what she will say.

"It was you," she says. "Your hands started the fire."

Looking down at my hands, I can still see the redness of them.

"That's impossible," I say. "How is it even possible, I am no Caster?"

Looking back at the smoke, remember the dream, it wasn't me, it wasn't. I can't breathe; it is as if the oxygen from the car has been sucked out. My hand reaches for the door handle and find that as I open, I collapse onto the ground.

"Ethan," I hear Lena shout, as the other door opens. My hands are on the ground the earth in my fingers digging for understanding, digging to get out of this dream, this nightmare. I can feel her hands on shoulders, but I can't hear her. I can see her mouth moving to the words, but nothing is coming out.

I can make out the word that Lena says over and over.

'Breathe'

'Breathe'

'Breathe'

I start to take deep breathes in and out trying to concentrate on Lena and not just what happened. Her hands go up to my cheeks.

"Still with me," she says.

"Yeah," I say before I realize that people might have been trapped inside the motel. I turn to see the plume of smoke in the distance.

I stand, and can feel her hand grab my wrist.

"I pulled the fire alarm," she says. "Everyone got out."

Lena helps me back into the car. Sitting down she explains that as the sun was beginning to rise, she had gone to the car to put the bags back into the car.

"I was only gone probably a couple of seconds, when I saw the smoke," she says. "I ran back and found the bed where you were already on fire. I tried to wake you, but it was as if you were in some sort of trance. Finally the water brought you out of it."

Looking down at the ground.

"It wasn't me," I say.

"Ethan I saw you..." she starts.

"No no, let me explain," I say letting out a deep sigh. The thing is that what I think happened is a crazy to me; I can only imagine what it may look like to Lena. The things I want her to believe me, but how to say it, how to express it? "It was a dream."

"A dream," she says raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Great, a dream, the only thing that I could think of, leave it to me to explain so simply that anyone could understand it, wait Lena doesn't understand because I don't either. If my author of parents could see me now, they would just die of pride.

"A woman with reddish hair, and gold eyes was in my dream," I say correcting the earlier statement. "She is the one who started the fire. She was..."

If she meant it, the truth would be the best thing to say right about now, but who knows how Lena will react to someone else kissing me, even if it was a dream.

"...kissing me and everything caught fire," I say.

Looking up I can see that Lena is not too happy what I just said. Her arms cross and you can see her jaw begin to clench.

"but hey, I did push her off," I say quickly. "She looked like you at first but it felt wrong."

More silence. Oh great now I did it again. Nice going Wate, patched things up only to screw it up again. If this was basketball, Coach would be taking me out of the game right about now. Probably I have one more play here, and I guess it is time that I take it.

"Lena," I say a little bit softer. "I love you. It felt odd kissing this impersonator because I knew the moment she did kiss me that it wasn't you, and I pushed her off me."

Her arms finally uncross and come over to me.

"I believe you," she says which of course brings a huge wave of relief to me. "I have never heard of a Dark Caster who can invade someone else dreams and cast in them. Although this doesn't help us, it does give us some information that probably Liv can help research, don't you think?"

She takes out her cell phone and turns it on.

"No signal," she says. "What good is having this dumb thing if we don't have any signal?"

"I guess we can always try to call in the next town," I say. Putting my feet into the car, I feel as if a huge weight has been lifted from me. My head hits the head rest and closing my eyes, I just let out a sigh of relief. The crunching sound of Lena's footstep as she makes her way back to her seat.

"You okay?" she asks.

"Yeah," I say not opening my eyes. "Just a rough of couple of days. Hey I got a question..."

I open my eyes and looking at her.

"We have anything for breakfast?" I say smiling.

She smiles and nods her head no. It is my lame attempt to liven the mood. Turning the key the car springs back to life. The road is still empty and as we drive, I can see the little town of Spotsylvania. In the distance to the left we can see the town, but if we continue on the main highway we could reach New York and probably the Lunae Libri would be the best place to wait for Liv. There is another thing however that is waiting for us on the road, as we come over a small hill. I see in the distance what seems to be a police car on the side of the road.

"Turn," I say.

"What, why?" she says.

I point out the police car on the side of the road. She puts on her blinker and turning to the left, it seems that we will get our chance to visit the small little town of Spotsylvania. The first place that we see coming into town is this old Courthouse, with some cars parked outside. Something about it, it is almost as if I had been there but it is of course impossible. Shaking my head I see that right next to the Courthouse is an old gas station. It seems that the entire town is not up or doing something else because out of the shops there, the courthouse and the gas station seem to be the only two things opened.

"Guess it is the gas station," Lena says. "Unless you want to see if we can get something to eat where there are more than likely police officers?"

"Well," I say before nodding no.

We turn into the gas station. Grabbing the duffel bag, I unzip it and look for the note that Liv said she left for me in my bag. Moving around a couple of things I finally find a folded up note. Opening it I see the handwriting and directions of where the nearest main entrance to the Lunae Libri is in New York. The directions are numerous and of course seeing how it comes from Liv, the directions are told in a way that even Link could understand.

Lena turns and sees the open bag recognizing something. I turn and follow her hand to the bag. She takes out the picture that we took back in Lake Moultrie. The small disposable camera that Lena bought from the Stop and Save was her way to start making our own memories. It was a way that like her charms we could have together.

"Hey I remember this," she says.

"Yeah," I say smiling. "It was a fun day. Remember how Link grabbed Ridley and traveled to the deep end."

"Who could forget," Lena says. "I am still trying to recover my full hearing. I have never heard any one mortal or caster scream so high."

We both laugh at the memories of that day. It was a good day, although Ridley would have preferred somewhere in doors, she did smile at least once, still don't know why, probably something dumb that Link did. Lena looks at it, and then hands it to me.

"No, you keep it," I say. "I have other things."

She leans in and kisses me softly on the lips. After a couple of seconds she looks at me a little unsure.

"What other things?" she says with a small smile.

Reaching into the bag I grab the handkerchief gift. I unroll it, and there is the small petal of jasmine with rosemary. The smell is almost immediate, and the memory as well. Looking at her, I know that she remembers.

"Not one of my best moments," she says.

"But definitely one of the prettiest," I say. "Well before we left Ravenwood."

It is then that she grabs something from inside the bag. It is the small disc that I had found inside the shoebox.

"Isn't this…," she says lifting it up to look at it. She works it with her fingers.

"Yeah," I say somberly. "I don't know when Amma put it inside the shoebox, had it be before she left."

"Guess she wanted you to have it," she says handing it to me. I grab it and then slide it inside my pant pocket, along with the note. Turning back to see the gas station attendant is I see an old man seated at the counter. It looks like time has forgotten to update the gas station, seems like it stopped back in the 50's. I am half expecting to see six attendants come out to put air, check our fluids and pump our gas for us, when I open the door.

"Still remember the number?" Lena asks.

"Think so," I say. "I will try to see if I can catch Liv, okay?"

"I will look for something edible then," she says turning around and walking in front of me. My hand reaches for hers and as it touches she turns around and smiles at me.

The bell rings as Lena opens the door. The attendant lifts up his head from the newspaper that he was obviously reading. Approaching the counter, he looks above me to Lena.

"Good morning Sir," I say. "Where is your phone?"

"Aint got one, sorry," the attendant says. "Our phone's busted and won't be fixed till next week, which o'course not helping you much. Nearest phone is next door at the Courthouse."

Of course it is. Lena finally comes up behind me and puts the snacks and drinks on the counter.

"Where is everyone," Lena says to the attendant.

"Oh, they out by Warren's field doing one of them, re-ackmen," the attendant says obviously referring to what people the South seem to all do when they have nothing to do, reenactments. In Gatlin of course there is the Battle of Honeyhill, I wonder what battles occurred in Spotsylvania Virginia?

The attendant turns around and hands us a brochure. On the front shows an actual picture of what seems to be the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse. I hand the brochure to Lena, who begins to open the brochure.

We walk out to the car, and I feel an immediate tug from Lena. I turn around just to have her hand me the brochure and there she is pointing at a black and white photograph of the Battle of Chancellorsville. It was of a group of Confederate Soldiers in front of a church under the command of Gen. Richard H. Anderson. A soldier leaning on a tree, the soldier was me.


	6. Chapter 6

**5.05**

**A Church Pew at Massaponax**

In Gatlin, whenever we would have Civil War reenactments there would be signs all over for tourists to come and watch at the specific battle locations. Much to the delight of everyone in Stonewall Jackson High School, there was only one battle that we had to deal with, the Battle of Honeyhill. Looking at the brochure there are many battles, and many different locations. Some down a road called Plank and another through a place called Gordon.

"Wait…do I turn left or right on Brock?" Lena asks.

Looking at the smallest map on earth, I try to make out the names but of course the print is way too small.

"Don't really know," I say. "It seems like it could be a river, or a road, but it is the next right."

The rows upon rows of cotton fields do make it kind of difficult to know where the actual roads are, and not where the private farm roads are. We slow down to the next possible right and then looking down the road, I see no cars or signs.

"Fifty-fifty shot I guess," I say.

Lena turns the wheel and going down the road, it seems as if the potholes have gotten numerous and more deep. These are times that I wish Lena had a 4x4 and not a sports car. The main roads out of the city of Spotsylvania are cut off until the reenactment is completed, it seems that some of the battle happens on the major roads and to be safe they shut them down.

The last thing that we would want is to run over anyone who is participating in the reenactment, so although we would prefer to be completely out of Virginia we would have to wait until it is over. The only thing we can do in the meantime is drive over to where the picture of Ethan Carter Wate was taken. It did look like a good idea at the time, going to the one place where there is the entire town.

As we finally reach a cross road, the car shudders to a dead stop. Looking over I see Lena starts to try to restart the car and when nothing comes on, she looks over to me.

"Weird," she says.

A loud caw grabs our immediate attention. I turn and look over to the sign that was an old wooden fence. On the top of the fence sits a huge black crow staring at us. The thing looks almost the size of a vulture. The way he looks at me, it is almost as if he knows me. It caws again, louder now, and starts to pick at the sign. Where have I seen a crow before? It is then like a flash, a memory comes back.

"Uncle Abner," I say out loud without thinking.

"What?" Lena says.

"Lena," I say. "I think I know this bird."

"From where?" she says.

My hand is already at the door before I could answer. It is as if the bird is calling, and I know who would send a message. As soon as my feet hit the road, the eyes of the crow fly to me. It turns and looks down the road to its right, before tapping on the sign again. I inch closer and closer to the bird trying hard to remember. It seems that as time goes, some memories are removed.

"Exu," I say unsure, now a couple of feet from him. The bird caws and looking at the sign, I read it, 'Massaponax Cemetery.'

Lena is next to me, and I can see the way she looks at the bird, it is as if she recognizes him as well. My hand touches hers, and as if on contact, she interlaces her fingers with mines. It is amazing how the simplest things in life feel the best. How I wish that we could have had a normal drive through the coast line. But of course two days into our trip and we are in the middle of nowhere with a car that just died, following a bird that I am pretty sure is Uncle Abner, one of Amma's old relatives, to a grave yard. Yeah it is definitely a normal vacation so far.

All we see around us is a field of cotton, surrounded by an old wooden fence that seems to be falling apart. The bird takes flight and all we can is follow in the direction of where it is going. Something inside of me wishes deeply that it is Amma trying to send us a message, because it means she isn't gone.

We run behind down the dirt road leaving the car behind. It as it seems that Exu doesn't understand that we do not have wings. For the next couple of minutes the rough terrain causes us to reevaluate the chucks that we both decided to wear. The bird finally stops and lands on a big stump that use to be a tree. There is something weird about it, a single tree stump in the middle of a field. If this is a Cemetery, where are the markings, where are grave stones, all we see is nothing but grass.

It is then that something begins to happen. The feeling of falling overwhelms me and as I feel Lena's hand still gripped in mines I feel as if everything else is slipping away. Looking around, everything begins to spin and as I look up at the sun, I see it begin to fade.

_The stars hide behind the morning light. Without the full moon, it does make it difficult to see where we are going. We had been marching through the night per our orders from General Anderson. Although to many it doesn't make any sense, there are a couple of people in my regiment that find it as an ominous sign. In Gatlin a no moon night is usually a bad time to be out, the shadows play tricks on you, make you see things that aren't there. As we walk silently, you can see it in their eyes, the ones who come from the Deep South, the fear of the unknown. They walk slower than the ones from the Border States, who say that it is all superstition. But there is no superstition on fear; it is only a recipe for a mistake waiting to happen. _

_We slow down and then finally stop, near the end of a clearing. Something doesn't feel right. In the distance we can see the Union camp fires. You can really see how many, but everything about this feels wrong. The regimen captain signals for us to get as low as possible. _

"_18 Virginia Infantry, send out the crows," the captain whispers._

_A shiver falls through my spine, as my blood begins to boil. It was the name the Captain gave the volunteer slaves of Virginia, the crows because according to him, they all flocked together. _

_Thomas turns and looks at me, his eyes already knowing, already realizing what is going to happen. He was the only one that was willing to help, when Thomas had come down with the green disease. He was the only one to give Thomas his socks, and now the order has been given to send all of the enlisted slaves out to meet the Union. This isn't a battle, this isn't some clever war strategy, all this is…is a mass suicide._

_I grab his hand._

"_Thomas, you can't," I say lowly._

"_Its mighty nice of you to worry, Mister Wate," Thomas his voice trembling. "But wes got to do, what wes told."_

_It was then that my hand that was tight around his, finally loosen and a smile of a thank you flashed in his face. I didn't even know his last name. I didn't know if he had any children, or where exactly he was from. I didn't know if he had anyone he loved. Would he be missed? Would I? I can't help but think of Genevieve. The things I have seen, I can't unseen them. Out of the things that I believed in, this is the one thing that I can't, the one thing that I won't believe. _

_The crows did what they were meant to do. It was quick and senseless, like everything in this world; nothing can bring you back when the memories of the dead haunt you. _

_The other regiments came in from the flank and we attacked right after the last man fell, the last volunteer from the 18th Virginia Infantry. As we charged into the fight, the Rebels couldn't fight what they couldn't see, and honestly I wish at that moment that a bullet would have wounded or even killed me. It happened so fast, the yelling, the screaming, the taste of dirt and blood, warm blood, still fresh, made me want to gag. I don't know if it was minutes or hours, but we didn't stop until, the last Rebel fell, the adrenaline being sapped from each one of our bodies. _

_Looking over the slump bodies, you really can't tell who they were. Trying to move away from the field, all you can see is a tangle mess of hands and arms, interlaced by legs. _

"_Burn the dead," the Captain calls out handing a torch to one of the lieutenants. Looking over to the bodies, I notice that it is not only the Rebels, but our own people, people that just gave up their lives._

"_Sir," a soldier calls up. "Shouldn't we separate our own first?"_

_He looks up at the people. _

"_If you want to spend the hours to do so, to grab the diseases from the dying and the dead, to dig out the graves for them," he says. "Then by all means, but don't think that we will be waiting for you."_

I can still smell the burning flesh; still feel the heat from the fire. I don't know how, or when, but as the vision begins to fade I see that both Lena and I are on our knees. It is too much, the visions, the things that happen. Feeling what he felt, seeing what he saw, it is no wonder he did what he did.

"You hear rumors," Lena starts, her voice cracking. "But you never believe it; you put your hopes that people would be better."

I struggle to get on my feet, pulling her up with me. Moving her to over to the old tree stump, I motion to her to sit. She finally let goes of my hand and placing her hands on her knees she just looks at the ground. I don't know the reasoning behind the bird bringing us to see this. Why would we want to know what happened here, why would Amma send Exu to tell us.

"There has to be a meaning," I say to myself low enough, hoping that Lena wouldn't hear. It was enough to get Lena messages, but those were easy to understand, this one, I don't know the reasoning. I look around and wonder if this was the reason why Ethan defected; it would have been for me if I was him.

I look back and it then that it hits me. Looking at Lena with her hands in her face obviously shaken. I kneel right in front of her, reaching out my hand to touch her soft curls. A strand in my fingers causes her to pause, almost as if she is waiting to see what I would do. I move the hair and tuck it behind her ear, leaning in closer to tell her something in her ear.

_L you okay?_

_No...not really. What he had to go through, what Genevieve had to go through. Sometimes I wonder if we are being punished for them. _

She lifts her head up and then sniffs back the tears. Letting out a grunt of frustration, she stands up and then turns away from me. I don't understand why she is so upset.

"I promised myself," she says. "That I wouldn't mourn for her. That I wouldn't mourn for them."

She starts to pace back and forth.

"Lena," I say. "It is okay."

_Is it?_

She turns to me and looks me straight in the eyes. One gold and one green, the anger inside her now visible to anyone who would be a mile away.

"We are still being punished," she says. "For something we had nothing to do with. Don't you get that?

A spark comes near her hands and then a small flicker of a flame generates from her fingertips. It is small but I feel the warmth coming from her, like a furnace being turned up little by little. I had the chance to be angry, I did. To think of all that I had lost, all I had to give up, for everyone else. What she doesn't realize is that I didn't do it for the people of Gatlin.

Each step that I step towards her, I can feel the raging fire inside of her, a volcano in the process of eruption. It is after all the gold Dark Caster side of her. But beneath all that anger, is the green Light inside her.

She lifts up a hand to tell me to stop, but I don't. I walk with more purpose that I had ever. It was the only thing that I knew. I had lost almost everyone, and she was one of the only people left that I knew I love.

_Ethan_

_Don't worry L, I can handle it._

Finally only a couple of feet from her, and I feel the sweat on my face. It is as if I was stepping into a huge oven. She closes her eyes and then I place my arms around her. The tingling sensation is almost immediate, as well as the pain. My heart beings to beat faster and my breathing shallows. Putting on my concentration on Lena, I get as near as I could.

"Being away from you is..." the air is thin and almost none existent. "It was my own punishment."

With that I can feel the immediate cool down and relief of air blowing. I can feel her hands start to gingerly make her way around my back. It is only until her hands meet that I feel the tenderness of my own back. Looking over her shoulder I see something. Twisting my head to the side I finally realize what it is.

"Hey is that a cross" I say into her ear.

She pulls away and looks at me a little unsure of what I said. Lifting my eyes to what is behind her, she looks at it. Near the edge of a field is a single solitary cross imbedded into the ground. It seems a peaceful place to bury someone. We walk over to it, the grass and the trees it reminds me of our walks when I was a kid. It was always in the spring, she loved that time the most. Our walks through the fields of Gatlin.

_Sounds wonderful_

_It was. _

Lena's hand reaches and grabs mines. It hurts when she finally grabs it, as if it was raw. I hold back the pain, but Lena can feel it and looks down to see the burn marks.

_It is okay._

_No...it isn't._

Reaching the grave, we find no name and something odd. The cross doesn't look old; it looks relatively new as if it was put up only a couple days ago. The twine that holds the two sticks together doesn't seem weathered down but fresh. There are some faint scratches on the cross that look familiar.

Lena walks over to the cross and kneeling at it, she places a hand on the center of it. It is then that she turns around and looks at me.

"Ethan," she says. "This isn't a grave."

Looking around her, I see she is pointing at the cross.

"What do you mean," I ask.

"This isn't a grave, it is a door," she says pointing at the small markings on the wood. I can see her finger points to the etchings that I could barely make out. "I mean it is in a very old language, but this right here says door, or entrance and this one is here is the symbol for..."

"Casters," I say recognizing the crescent moon symbol from the one in Ravenwood, the one that I would press to get into the house.

Staring at it for a little it finally comes to me as a picture in my mind.

"The Doors of a Caster will be opened to those who are bold enough to knock."

She looks at me surprised.

"How did..." Lena starts before I shrug and tell that I don't know how I could read it. It was a valid question, how did I know, where did I see this. It was fuzzy, but I know that I had seen this before.

"Been brushing up on my ancient Caster language, one of the new additions to the courses that I am taking at Stonewall Jackson," I say putting my hands in my pocket and regretting it immediately when the pain of the raw hands shot up my body. It is a good thing that Lena was looking at the cross because when she turned around the pain had already subsided. "Now…the question is where is the door and how do we open it."

_Do you think it is safe to open it in the first place?_

_All this has to be for a reason and if the Amma sent Exu then she wouldn't put us in danger._

She has to think about what I just said. It was something to consider since the vision we just saw. That and the fact that other visions were sent by Lena's mother and what to say this one didn't come from a Dark Caster. Although it is something to think about, I don't feel the danger in the pit of my stomach that I had always felt with the other visions. She stands up and straightens the wiping off the dirt from her long black dress she agrees that we at least have to know the reason why.

"Only thing that I can think of is a door we can't see," Lena says. "Like the one in the Lunae Libri."

"Any special Caster thingy that you can do, a cast, to show us the door," I ask.

She smiles at the thingy comment and closes her eyes beginning to recite something that of course I don't understand. Her eyes close and her fingers spread out, the curls on her head begin to move gently. I start to look around, to see if anything appears, and when nothing happens.

_Nothing_

Walking towards Lena, I start to feel a surge of heat and energy. It is similar, it reminds me of the Temporis Porta that Liv and I found in the fields. It is odd but I think I know what I have to do.

"Give me your hand," I say putting out mine. Lena doesn't hesitate but puts her hand in mine. Closing my eyes, concentrate on finding the door.

_It didn't work_

_Trust me_

I can feel the energy begin to grow deep within my body. It is the same feeling that I had at the door, when it wouldn't open when I knew that I had to get behind, that I was supposed to see something. Lena begins to recite the words again, it sounds like latin but older, as if it was a language before everything. The rhythm to the words, the way she says them, it as if a song that has peaks and valleys. I can feel a small vibration all of the sudden and then even the air begin to buzz.

_Ethan what is happening?_

_Don't let go L. _

Her hand tightens around mines and as I feel the energy growing, I can hear the cracking sound of tree branches breaking. It is only for a couple of seconds but when the buzzing finally calms down, it is as if the birds that were once singing have become completely quiet.

Opening my eyes, I see a brilliant white door that has literally grown from the tree stump. It is as if the tree regrew up to about the height of a large door and then curved down because of the weight of the door. Growing out of the branches of the frame sprouted two words.

'Massaponax Church'


	7. Chapter 7

**5.05**

**Daughter of the Moon**

Walking through the door, it is as if coming to the end of the plank at Lake Moultrie. You walk to the edge and look over the thirty foot drop. There is a quick sense of fear in your heart, but at the same time you feel the exhilaration of jumping. The brightness just envelops us as we walk through the threshold of the invisible door that is now hanging off a cut off tree stump.

Inside everything is bright white, the furniture, the walls, the floors, the ceiling, everything is white. I lift up my hand to cover my eyes as the brightness of the place blinds me. The echoes of our footstep ring through the place telling us that the Church of Massaponax is larger than we had thought. Lena stops walking and then as we let our eyes adjust to the light, I could hear the footsteps of another person.

_It's too bright Ethan_

I turn to her and as I fumble to grab her second hand, I can hear her breathing racing. Finally grabbing her second hand, I lower my head to touch hers.

_Let your eyes adjust_

After a couple more seconds I could see the outline of the church pews coming into focus. Lena's dark dress creates a wonderful resting place for my eyes to focus. As I look at our hands still holding I trace my eyes up her arms until I finally pull away from her. Her eyes still closed, I can see how amazingly beautiful see is.

_You are definitely one beautiful girl_

I can see the heat flash from under her neck and up her face. The rosy cheeks bring a smile to her face. Her eyes open and then as she looks at me, I can feel the warmth in my face rise.

"_A love like that was a serious illness, an illness from which you never entirely recover."_

"Ah young love," someone says. "Bukowski as well, such a spectacular mind, excellent choice."

Turning around we both see what we believe to be a man in a white cloak, his hood up covering part of his face. He looks about the height of Link, and the loose fitting cloak reminds me of monks from the documentaries that my mother would make me watch. It is troubling though, because the quote that I just told Lena, I didn't say out loud, how could he have heard me.

"Ah," he says. "Excellent question, yes...but a little difficult to explain. Though I can't answer your question right now, I have been waiting for both you, Daughter of Moon, Son of Earth, for years."

Lena looks at him and then at me.

"Daughter of Moon?" she repeats.

He turns around and starts to walk toward the front of the church. At first we are both a little hesitant. I mean how could this man know what I am thinking or kelting to Lena and what did he mean that he had been waiting for us for years? Daughter or Moon? Son of Earth? Lena starts to walk behind him.

"Excuse me Sir," I say. "But who are you and where are we?"

He doesn't talk but continues to walk towards what I believe is the altar. Looking ahead I see that there is a very large white book. His steps that were so loud now has disappeared, it is so still in the room, that I think my heart beating is the only sound that could be heard. Walking behind Lena, she doesn't seem at all concern who this person, but almost as if she feels comfortable here.

The way he walks, so silently, as if he is floating. The whole thing is so weird and so surreal, that looking around I don't understand where the light is coming from. The windows that are stained glass don't depict any scene but seems to change or shimmer as we walk.

"Now," he says resting his hand on the book. "To answer your first question, Son of Earth, a name does not decide who I am, because I have no name, I only have a purpose. And yes Daughter of Moon to your question, I do have a purpose. I am a Tabularius, or in your words, I am a sort of book keeper. But…it is not of any books that you would know or have read. The easiest way to explain it is as I turn the pages of a book, it is the space in between the pages, what holds everything together, the purpose of it, the purpose behind the words, or even the reason why the words exists. This leads us to the second question Son of Earth; we are in the space between the worlds, not in the living or in the other world."

"So, a Caster World," Lena says trying to find some sort of understanding to this craziness. It would make sense since it took a Caster to open the door, or to even find it. Looking around, it could be part of the Caster world, it is after all like the Lunae Libri.

"No," the Tabularius says turning the page. "The Caster World is in the land of the living. We are in the in between worlds. The Caster World and the Lunae Libri lends its ability from this place."

I lift my hands to rub my eyes. I must be dreaming, because this is too much. First I find out that there is a Caster World, light and dark, good and bad, and now this. I back up a little bit and sit down on the pew of what I believe is a Church.

"Wait," I say finally. "What the heck are you talking about? Worlds between, not light not dark, the space in between. I am sick and tired of people talking in riddles…can you answer it without the story without the philosophy? For one, you said you were waiting for us, how if we never met you."

He turns a couple of pages and then scans the book with his finger tip. Lena still standing in front of the guy still looks as if fascinated by all this.

"You, Ethan Lawson Wate, son of Mitchell Wate, grandson of Deacon Wate, great grandson of Clayton Wate, great great grandson of Wilson Jefferson Wate, great great great grandson of Ellis Wate, shall I continue?" the Tabularius says. "I know who you were named after, and know that just outside this place was where Ethan Carter Wate decided something that changed the path that he was destined for."

Looking at him, I cannot believe it, it is as if he knows my entire family tree. The way he says it, it is as if he had been watching my family tree for years.

"Yes, I have been watching your line after Ethan Carter Water, because on that day the Wayward of this Decade began that day," the Tabularius continues. "Because Ethan Carter Wate, gave a slave from Georgia, a compass. Even though Thomas Easton had already died on the field of Massaponax, the compass allowed his soul to find his way home."

The compass. It was what Genevieve had given him as a way for him to make it home.

"You see Ethan," the Tabularius says. "This place is one of few spots where what fated to happen didn't."

"What was supposed to happen," Lena says.

"Daughter of the Moon," he says. "You were always my favorite. The questions you would ask when no one was listening, they were always my favorites. Even now the one question that you ask, is the one I do not know the answer to."

He slowly traces the pages of the book as if he was caressing it. He grabs the edge of the book and then closes it with a smile.

"The door to this place, could only be opened by one pair of people and no one else, it is one of purpose," the Tabularius says. "My purpose was to wait here for the time when a Natural and a Wayward would find the door. There hasn't been a Natural in over two hundred year, while there have been many Cataclyst but very few Naturals and even a longer time for a Wayward to appear, to guide you. The odds of a relationship or even an encounter is close to impossible."

"So what is our purpose?" Lena says.

"No one but Fate would know," the Tabularius says. "With the New Order, things are not the way they should."

Yeah, you are telling me. The storms that come and go with Lena unable to notice that she is causing it. Can't even go to sleep without being invading by some girl with red hair causing me to burn everything.

"Wait, Son of Earth" the Tabularius says. "A girl who invaded your dream? Caused you to Cast? Are you certain?"

Turning around and looking at what seems to be a man confused. It was probably the first time that someone has actually surprised even him.

"You know it is plain bad manners to spy in on people's thoughts," I say. "But if you must know then yes, I am quite certain, have the burn marks to prove it, not to mention the fire fighters that we passed on our getaway sure as hell can confirm it."

He turns and places the book on what seems to be a bookshelf. His finger touches each of the books until he reaches one that he pulls out. Placing it on the table it begins to glow a soft orange glow. His hand then goes to open the cover which causes the books intensity to grow, until the pages seem to be as bright as the sun. Lena covers her eyes and I grab her by the hand. The coolness of the atmosphere has suddenly changed and now it is as if the temperature has heated up about twenty degrees.

"An Astral," the Tabularius says stopping on something in the book. "Where there is an Astral, there is a possibility of an Changling."

He closes the book and looks up at us smiling.

"It seems that our time has come to an end," the Tabularius says. "I really did enjoy meeting you both. Daughter of the Caster World, and Son of the Mortal World, you both have been my favorites."

Lena turns and looks at him.

"Wait," she says. "What are we suppose to do?"

The room begins to glow bright. Everything seems to be like it was when we first entered in here. I call out Lena's name, who has already placed her hands on her eyes trying to shield her eyes. The flash doesn't lessen but grows until it overtakes us and...

I look around and see the same sign where the car died. Turning around, I look and see Lena still with her eyes shielded right next to the car. The Crow is nowhere to be seen, and even the sign doesn't point towards the Cemetery of Massaponax, in fact there isn't anything that way but fields of cotton.

_See the things that are not, people that hide in plain sight_

It wasn't Lena's voice, and it wasn't mines, it was the Bookkeeper. It did happen, and what we just experienced wasn't a dream but definitely up there in the weird category. Looking at my hands the burns that Lena had done, are gone, and it looks as if whatever happened in the field where Thomas Easton died, didn't really happen.

"What just happened?" I say to Lena.

"You mean, did we just go to a field where we saw a vision of Ethan Carter Wate and the battle that kills Thomas Easton," she starts. "And then we find a door that grows out of cut tree stump, not to mention a white room with a guy that just spoke to us in our minds?"

"Yeah that," I say.

She ducks back into the car and turns on the car. Lena beeps the horn and walking over to the car, I wonder what that all was. If Exu was told to come over, told by who, and for what reason, to meet a man that read our thoughts, to tell us that we are basically an glitch in the time line?

"I think it is just a small detour," she says putting the car in drive. Turning the car around, she starts to make it to the main road.

"Just like that?" I say. "Don't you find what we just experienced as something a little bit more significant? Like for instance don't you remember that the roads are blocked until the dumb reenactments are done?"

Lena taps the screen on the Fastback.

"One of the good things about this car is that it has a date stamp when you turn it on," she says. "I don't know how this is possible, but if you look at the date."

Looking at the numbers, it feels as if it is wrong.

'May 07'

"We have been stuck in that place for two days?" I say. "How is that even..."

"Possible?" she says. "Well I don't know, but if I know one thing, is that things that happen to us, are always not possible, like you coming back from the dead, like me claiming both light and dark."

I put my hand on hers.

"Like us finding each other?" I say remembering what the Bookkeeper had told us. That it would have been nearly impossible for us to even have found each other. "You know the memories of everything that happened in the Other World, have begun to fade and as much as I would like to hold onto them, it is like waking up from a dream. The details at first are so vivid, but as time passes, it is harder. One of the things that I haven't forgotten, was the feeling that I had to get back to you. It wasn't impossible, it was going to happen."

_You always know what to say_

_You were always my..._

"Compass," I say coming to realize something. It is then as I see a sign saying, now leaving Spotsylvania. It was what Genevieve gave Ethan Carter Wate, to help him find his way home. "Don't you see, the note that Genevieve gave was specific, 'When you find that you are lost and cannot find your way, remember to point it towards home and you will find me there waiting.'"

She looks at the road and then again at me. For the first time I know what we have to do, but doing it is going to be a little bit difficult.

"The Bookkeeper said that when Ethan gave Thomas the compass, it allowed his soul to find his way home," I say. "There was probably a cast on it, like the locket, so that if Ethan died, he would find his way back to Genevieve."

"We have to find the compass," Lena say. "Now the question is where, or how will we find it."

All these questions, it is as if, the more we unravel the more we realize that it is deeper. If the date is correct, Liv will be already getting to the Lunae Libri in New York. It seems that she would be the best person to help us.

Taking the bag from the back seat I open it to see if I can find the pouch where the compass was. Inside a note has been placed on top of a bag.

I look at it and let out a laugh as I open the bag.

"Seems we have our breakfast," I say handing Lena a honey bun.

"How, where...," she says smiling.

"What?" I ask.

"It was the first time I was in Savannah. It was a couple of days before valentines," she says not stopping for me to answer. "It was umm...my birthday and my Gramma saw me on the porch sitting there. I mean I knew why no one could come, but it still hurts when you see that your entire family is separated."

It was hard for her to remember this part of her life, so I know the importance of this.

"Well if I had gotten an invitation," I say. "I would have hitchhiked to Savannah."

_Well that would have been a little weird seeing how I didn't know you._

_Yeah, a little snag in the plan._

"It was what my Gramma gave me that night," she continues. "A honey bun from the corner store."

I hand her the note.

"I think it is for you," I say.

I can still remember the note. Written in very careful handwriting, it was a simple statement, just like the way he spoke. The meanings behind each word, the way he said that everything had a purpose.

"Kind of hard for me to read it while I am driving," she says. "Unless you want me to pull over. Mind if you read it to me?"

_'The question you asked that day on the porch was one of my favorite.' _

"What was the question," I ask.

"Umm, does it matter," she says trying to avoid the answer.

"Well no but I would love to know," I say.

"I asked, something about if I was alone in this world," she tries to say as low as possible so that I wouldn't be able to hear it.

"Oh," I say. "I guess that is why he wrote something else on the back of the note."

"Wait," she says looking over jerking the wheel, which of course caused us to quickly swerve into the shoulder. Turning it back, we move back into the lane. "What else did it say?"

_'The answer sits next to you. Seems that the dreams may have started that day.'_

Her face begins to turn a bright red, which of course is more self evident because of Lena's fair complexion. She has to clear her throat a couple of times. Who would have thought, that one of the questions she asked may have been the reason why the dreams started. The question that are we alone in this world? We were both alone, and then things changed.

She rips off half of the honey bun and hands it to me.

"For the breakfast we missed," she says.

"For the last two days," I say taking a bite into the sweet bread. It was after all one of the greatest breakfast I have had in a while. The open road doesn't seem too scary anymore. We know where we are going and although we may not know what to do when we get there, we know that as long as we have each other, that is all that matters.


	8. Chapter 8

**5.07**

**The steps of the Met**

You know sometimes I wonder if Holden didn't just leave the equipment on the train on purpose. After all the years that he spent being the equipment manager and all, what a great title you know. To take care of things for other people, and then when you lose it, be blamed for it. As we got closer into the city, I always wondered what caused him to forget exactly what his job was.

"You ever been to New York?" I ask.

Turning to see her curled up in the passenger seat. She hadn't fallen asleep as she wanted to make sure that I didn't doze off. We had switched when we passed D.C., it seems that Lena was a lot more tired than what she was letting on. It is nice to see her there curled up; she looks so small and so fragile there, although I know that inside, she has this massive amount of power.

"No, this would be the first time." She says not lifting her head from the side of the seat. I had given her a sweater that she had made into a pillow, pressing it against the windshield.

It would be our first time together visiting another place that neither of us had ever seen. I mean we have been to Summerville, and I had been thinking about going to see my Aunt Caroline in Savannah, so that she could meet Lena. It would be nice I guess, to have someone in my family other than Amma, know about Lena. I mean I know my father knows Lena, and has met her before but it is different now.

You can see it in pictures, you can see it in movies, and you can even try to imagine it from the books, but nothing prepares you for when you actually see it. The turn off into the city was as if I was arriving in a place that I couldn't describe. The skyscrapers were visible even from afar.

_L._

_Hmm? _

She lifts her head and looking at the building being showered with the afternoon light it is as if at that moment everything stood still. It is silent as the car lights begin to be switched on.

_Trees, branches of light, the towers of glass and steel stand pointing towards the skies trying to reach a point that is always out of reach._

"That is pretty, who says that?"

She uncurls herself, stretching as high as she could. She doesn't tell me, and she doesn't have to. It is very rare the times that she writes down her poetry, and even then to hear it begin said.

"Anything you want to do?" She says trying to change the subject. She unrolls the sweater and putting it on, she zips it up.

"Well there is one thing I had always wanted to do, but it's May," I say looking out and see the buildings a little bit closer. The glass façade on some and dark grey concrete on the others, the way they shoot up into the sky, it does remind me of a forest.

Lena digs in her pocket and hands me the phone. It was nice to believe that we can escape who we are and it may be what we were trying to do with this trip, but we are fooling ourselves because who we are could never be changed.

"Isn't there something we have to do first," she asks. It was something that I was putting off, I guess I did want to forget everything and just start over. Probably it won't be as bad as I think.

"Hello," Liv says on the other side of the phone.

"Hey Liv," I say balancing the phone on my shoulder.

"Ethan," she says surprised. "Where have you've been? I did mention that I was going to be in New York in two days, or at least I think I did. Probably I was speaking in my dreams to another Ethan from Gatlin."

Of course Olivia would be upset, that is the only way that I could know that I am still alive, I would have to be at fault for something.

"Liv..," I say.

"No no no," she interrupts. "I must have been dreaming, because it is only then that it makes sense that I would sleep walk through the Caster Tunnels, which by the way, isn't like strolling through a dark alley, in a graveyard, it is all rainbow and sunshine."

I hand Lena the phone.

"I can't get a word in...she is really upset," I say pulling the car into the Fifth Avenue Garage on East 79th. Grabbing the phone Lena starts to try and calm down Liv, who of course is upset because I should made the call probably about four to five hours ago.

"Liv," Lena says. "It is Lena…Yeah I know everything, mostly the lateness is my fault. Where are you?"

Lena begins to walk away still talking to Liv on the phone. Grabbing a small backpack that we picked up from the rest stop in D.C., I zip the bag and as I walk to Lena, I can see that Lena is trying to calm Liv down. I look at my watch, it is almost closing time and if we are going to make, we are going to have to get a move on it. Standing there looking at the roads of New York, the city feels a little bit different than what I would have imagined. If my mother was still alive I know she would have loved to have come to the city. The Catcher in the Rye was one of her favorite books. I can still remember asking her to read me a bedtime story. The way her hand felt on my forehead as she sat in the chair near my bed and taking out a book started to read about a sixteen year old named Holden Caulfield. She would tell me never to conform to what society tells me, and to always rebel if it what is being said goes against what I believe.

'_People always clap for the wrong things'_

I guess you can say that my favorite books are mostly because my mother would read them. They still have her name in the back cover.

Lila Evers Wate

The 'Wate' written in a different color of course, which means that her books were so old that she had them before she was married, before she was my mother, probably before she even met my father. It is nice to have pieces of her; it always reminds me of the times she was with me.

"Okay," she says. "We will see you in a few."

Looking out to the park, I can still hear her voice sometimes, talking to me as I was sleeping, or at least pretending to be asleep. I try really hard not to think about it, to forget what I have learned to already accept.

Her hand finds mine and looking at me, I guess he could guess what I am thinking about. It is sometimes easier to try and busy your mind with other things.

"Sometimes it feels as if you could only run just a little bit faster than probably the pain wouldn't be so bad," I say. "Every time I stop and let my mind think, it just…"

A couple of rain drops begin to fall on the tin roof overhang of the Parking Garage. People that are walking on the sidewalk look up to the sky begin to run just a little bit faster to get to where ever they are going.

"It will be okay," Lena says lifting her hand to my cheek. Gripping her hand a little bit tighter I turn and run towards the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

_You know she yelled at me in Latin?_

_Who Liv?_

_Yeah, she wasn't too happy._

_Well I don't know how I would even try to explain that how was I supposed to know that going into a magical door would eat two days of time? Or the fact that there wouldn't be any signal through every single major city?_

"You're asking me?" Lena says as we reach the steps. The large white stone columns rise from the base, as if gates holding something back. The steps are as if we are ascending to something of great importance that it had to be elevated above the sidewalk.

Through the door we find the nearest museum attendant. The squeaky noise of our chucks grabs the attention of the nearest attendant. We must look like a couple of wet dogs with our hair just stuck to our face. It seems that the rain started to come down harder

"Good evening Ma'am, could you be so kind as to point me to the Thomas J. Watson Library?" I ask looking down at the ground. "I am so sorry about the mess; the storm just came out of nowhere."

The attendant looks up to the clock and then back at us. "I am sorry young man but we are closing up."

Lena looks at me and then I look at the attendant.

"Oh I am so sorry," I say. "You see I just drove up from Gatlin South Carolina, and well my girl friend here had always wanted to see the Library of the Metropolitan Museum. I keep telling her that it is the Museum part that is important but she tells me that the books there are just such an amazing find…a first edition of…"

_Give me a title of a book…_

"I heard that you have a first edition of the Catcher in the Rye," Lena says. "One of the things that I had always wanted to do is retrace the steps of Holden Caulfield; you know to see yourself in the books."

The attendant smiles and looking at her watch she leans in between us.

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it..." she says.

It is a line from the book. The attendant isn't looking at me, but at Lena. If she hasn't read the book she would never be able to finish the sentence. I am just about to tell her the next line to the quote but before I can.

"...you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it," she says stopping and looking at the attendant.

It is the very fact that she actually read the book that causes my mouth to open in shock. I guess she was telling me the truth that she would read the books that I would read when I wasn't there. I can imagine her sleeping there in my bed, picking the books on the ground that I had left on a pile. It was something that I did that last day before I went to the Water Tower. I tried to read every book that I could, but of course couldn't because it was just too many and too much.

"That doesn't happen much, though," the attendant finishes before waving us through. Taking out a card she swipes at the door. The next guard looks at us. "They forgot something their umbrella in the Watson Library."

Squeak...squeak...squeak...

Her shoes squeaked down the hallway. All I can think about is really how much she loves me. I had never had someone like this in my life in a while since Amma, and my mother. Each step I realize that I don't have to hurt too much or think that I am alone in this world.

The attendant opens the door.

"You have only fifteen minutes," she says. "While I go and get some coffee, the first editions are in the glass case in the center."

Pointing to an area, Lena again thanks her for letting us come in for a couple of minutes. The attendant puts up a hand and walks out the door. The click of the door is like a timer that starts to count down. Taking out the paper, I hand it to Lena.

'Libri antichi e moderni'

"Would that be in the L's or the A's or," looking at her confused. "the M's?"

The books all arranged without order. Looking at the order I see the M's are with T's and then in the other stacks, the C's are with part of the J's.

"What the hell?" I say taking out some of the books. "They are not in order."

"Well what did the instruction's Liv say," Lena says handing back the paper. That is a good question, I think to myself as I put the backpack on the nearby table.

'Directions to the nearest major Lunae Libri. Follow them to the letter. The Lunae Libri is found in the Thomas J. Watson Library in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City:

Find Central Park

There is a garage on East 79th Street and 5th Avenue, park there. Cross 5th Avenue and up the main entrance.

Ask to be taken to the Thomas J Watson Library

Once inside look for the Libri Antichi e Moderni 1465

Give the book to Lena'

"That is it?" Lena says. "What does Libri Antichi e Moderni mean anyways?

"I think if I am not mistaken it means books old and new, but of course that means absolutely nothing."

I turn the paper back and forth, to see if I had missed something. It was basically the only thing she wrote. Good thing that she forgot to mention that the book is not in the order, in fact none of the books are in order of title. It is then that I start to remember how Liv had always wanted to re-sort the books to either Author or Published date. She always said that it is the way the other libraries do it and just like the Metric System, we as Yankees are behind the times.

"What is the published date on that book you have," I say.

"1992, why?" she responds.

I take the first book to my left and then pull it out. Opening the cover, I look for the published date and find that it is 1999.

"That is it," I say. "It is sorted by published dates. We have to find it by the published date, and if the numbers after the title mean anything and I think they do, then we are looking for a book published in 1465."

We start to look for the book through the stacks and then through the books on the tables and as we scan books and books, I can tell that time is running out and soon enough the attendant will be back. Something catches my attention and as I walk towards a wall of organized books, I can feel some sort of energy as if a magnet is drawing me towards it. My right hand reaches for the books and as my fingers run through their spine I can feel something. It isn't until my fingers touch a brown one that it suddenly feels hotter than usual.

Pulling it out I look at the title.

'Libri Antichi e Moderni'

"Found it," I say out loud. Turning around I see Lena had been crouching at other books before straightening up to meet my eyes. I open the cover and find something odd, the pages had no pictures, no writings, nothing, and they were all blank. "Well, sort of..."

Handing the book to Lena, something happens when her hand touches it. The words in the book start to appear slowly at first and then finally the entire book comes to life. I guess what Aunt Miriam it is true what they say about all Lunae Libri's.

'Only Casters are able to find the doors to the Lunae Libri'

This Lunae Libri is one in the Library of a Museum that shows us a hidden door only when a Caster touches a specific book. I wonder if someone were to check out the book, would the door disappear. Would they even be able to check out the book?

Lena sticks out her hand which of course I grab. It is smooth to the touch and it feels just right to hold. I don't know how I could ever have made it through these last couple of weeks. It has been the weirdest couple of days, but truth be told, I have felt like myself again. Like something that was missing was finally found.

She pauses and looks at me.

_Sometimes you just leave me with nothing to say._

_Sorry, I will try to keep my thoughts quieter next time._

She punches my arm and all I can do is smile. The greatest thing about our relationship, is as much as I would like to keep things hidden, secret, I can't. Even the things that you are not suppose to say, I have gotten use to saying.

Pulling her to me, she places her hand on my chest. She feels so warm and it feels so right, it is that feeling that keeps me sane, and of course it is what blinds me.

"Ahem,...get a room short straw." I hear in the distance and know exactly who it is. "Don't mind us, we have just been waiting a couple of hours now."

Turning to see, the door behind us begins to close, leaving one sliver of light. The room behind us has brick walls with large gothic ceilings lit up by silver candles that surround us. Even the floor is of a dark stone, probably marble. Lena's arms quickly retract as she turns and runs to her cousin.

There about ten feet from us stands the one person that can take control of a room with just one flip of her hair. The pink strands that mix with her gold hair has become longer than the short natural color hair. She wears a black ripped t-shirt that was obviously cut with a pair of scissors to be as low in the front as possible. Of course Lena's cousin Ridley Duchanne never really left anything to the imagination not that it would matter, to a siren. What you see is always what you get, and if she didn't like what you saw, one lick from a lollipop and let's just say that her problem would be solved and yours would just be beginning.

"Dude," I hear next which of course always brings a smile to my face. The only person I know that can say so many things with just a single word is of course one of my best friends. Wesley Jefferson Lincoln is one of my closet friends from Gatlin. "I leave you for a couple of days, and you go and get yourselves in world ending things that only you and Lena could."

"Link," I say sticking out my hand which is already reaching for mines. We became friends in kindergarten where he gave me half of his Twinkie on the bus. He had always stuck by me through everything, even after my mom died and I had wanted to be alone, he just sat there next to me, saying nothing.

"So what did you get yourself into this time that you would need the ol' Linkibus," he says putting his arm around me. "Even had to bring out old faithful."

The old garden shears have been somewhat of an old gag of us. Seeing how Link has super strength now, he really doesn't need them.

"Yes, Ethan, what did you get yourself into," I hear a very discernible English accent ask. There is only one English person that I know. In the distance I see Liv there with her arms crossed looking as happy to see me as a storm cloud is on a sunny day.


	9. Chapter 9

**5.07**

**A needle in a haystack**

You know that feeling when you are being shown the consequences of your actions? Like when your teacher tells you to explain a passage in a book, when of course you know you haven't even opened it. I guess it is what I had coming. According to Liv, the tunnels she had to brave herself since she had made a promise to me about not saying anything, and she couldn't bring John Breed.

"So if I understand you correctly you entered a place that wasn't really there," Liv says. "Through a graveyard that wasn't really there, that only opened because you and Lena was there?"

"Well not exactly," I correct. "I mean the guy...what did he call himself..."

"Tabularius," Lena says.

The mere mention of the word causes Liv who was penciling in her notebook to drop it. She doesn't look up but I can tell that she recognizes it. It is as if Lena said something that no one could have known. Looking up Liv makes sure that no one but us had heard what Lena had just said.

"Why don't we continue this conversation in one of the rooms?" Liv says waving us all to what seems like is the entrance to the Lunae Libri. "But first Lena if you could please slide the book into the white spot with the spine out?"

Lena looking at the book walks awkwardly back to the where the door has slid closed and only a small sliver of light has escaped into the room. Sliding the book back into place caused the light in the room to brighten to a level where all the details are clearly visible. Even a door that wasn't there suddenly becomes visible.

"Hence the reason why I had to go through the tunnels," Liv says. "In the New York Lunae Libri, the only ones that can go through the door are Casters."

"Good evening," a small woman comes out of the newly opened door. "Welcome to the Lunae Libri of the greater state of New York. Is your entire party here, Miss Durand?"

"Yes," Olivia says.

"Welcome, I am Chelsea Johnson, and I am the Keeper of this branch. If you would follow me please."

We walk through the door and down stairs. The brick walls look as if it has been here for years. It feels as if we are going down into some dungeon in a old castle. There is a rumbling along the walls, and suddenly both Lena and me have stopped putting up our hands to steady ourselves. From my understanding there are no earth quakes in New York, or haven't been in a long time.

"Oh I am sorry, we are near some old subway tunnels so that right there would be the ummm, the 'F' probably or it could be the '4,' I never know the rumblings are so far away," Chelsea starts. "Which of course reminds me that I definitely need to go Macy's for this weekend."

"Excuse me, Pippy Longstocking," Ridley says. "But unlike the rest of them, I don't really care what you have to do this weekend."

"Rid," Lena says looking back at her.

"Pippi Longstocking?" Chelsea says. "Is it the freckles? I mean it has to be, because I don't have pig tails that fan out, or have a monkey on my shoulder. I tell you, Sirens, the only dark casters that are the most insecure."

"Excuse me," Ridley says looking up at her, reaching in her pocket for a lollipop. Lena tries to stop her but it is too late, Ridley is not one to let herself be told the truth of anything, she just likes to live in denial all the time.

"Oh honestly, what do they teach you in Gatlin," Chelsea says. "You do know that any cast or ability does not work down here in the Lunae Libri? Miss Durand, do they not teach them this back where they are from?"

"Well," Liv starts. "It doesn't really happen back home, because Keepers typically do not antagonize the people who are coming to seek help."

This is a first, Olivia actually standing up for Ridley. I guess things have changed, I actually wondered how did Ridley and Link even know that we were coming. The only way they could have known would have been if Olivia called and asked them to come. If she felt as if they would have been needed, then we are in more trouble than I could have wished for.

"Oh no," Chelsea corrects herself. "I am sorry, I meant no disrespect, and sometimes I say things that I should keep to myself. One of my downfalls."

Ridley unsure of what to do pauses and as the rumbling finally comes to a stop, you can see her unsureness disappear and the confidence that Ridley had always shown comes roaring back. She puts the lollipop back into her pocket and instead smiles as she walks by Chelsea. The way she smiles it is almost as if she is accepting a challenge.

"Funny how stone walls never go on forever," Ridley says walking down the stairs leaving us behind. In the distance you can hear the echoes of her voice. "Meet you downstairs, Boyfriend and thanks, M.P."

Link follows Ridley down the stairs only smiling as he passes us by.

"M.P.," I say looking to Liv.

She rolls her eyes.

"Mary Poppins," she says following Ridley down the stairs. It is nice to see that some things never change, and although it was a shock to see Olivia even try to stand up for Ridley it was nice to see that even Ridley can know why Olivia was doing it.

Once we are finally at the end of the stairs, I can see in front of me, not the small Lunae Libri of Gatlin with the rows and rows of books that I couldn't name. This being the second Lunae Libri that I have been in, I can see that each one is as different as the cities that they occupy. The vast hall with its high ceilings seems to be something out of a movie. The high ladders that pepper the stacks of books give pause to even me. Being so high always did cause me to stop and think about the Water Tower and the fact that I won't be throwing myself off high structures anytime soon.

"Miss Durand," Chelsea says clearing her throat. "Please your room has been prepared as requested."

We follow her to the nearest room and when she opens it, she quickly closes it and apologizes that the room is now occupied. She looks down to her clip board and then her watch.

"Oh I guess I got the times wrong," she says walking a couple more steps and stops in a room with a sign that says 'meditation room.' Opening the door she lets us into the large room. Once inside I am confused by the term meditation, as the whole room is painted in this blue color. My thoughts are that the blue promotes meditation.

"In the day time the room has these brilliant shades of blue and light as the ceiling is all glass and the room itself is on top of the Turtle Pond," Chelsea says. "In the night time you really can't see much without the light, I am sorry and I am also sorry about before, I meant no disrespect."

"Think nothing of it, Pippi," Ridley says. "I had already forgotten the smallest mundane things you said. Be a dear and get me a water, since you so want to be helpful."

The door closes and of course Ridley has won this fight, but who knows if this means that the war between her and the Keeper of the New York Lunae Libri is over.

"Okay," Liv says pointing to the table. "The reason behind our meeting is that it is in the upmost importance that we figure out what has occurred and what consequences this has on the New Order."

"The thing is that we are just now trying to piece everything together," I start to say. "Only three days ago I was standing at the top of the Summerville Water Tower thinking about Amma and wondering where we go from here. Then I am see storms appear and Lena not knowing how she cast something, but I know what I saw."

Liv opens the bag that she is carrying at puts it on the table. The book has no writing, or any that I can see, only some strange symbols. She opens the book and then shows me a couple of symbols.

"What does that mean," I ask Liv. Lena approaches the book and just looking at the shape she can begin to realize what is being written.

"Think of it like an amplifier of a guitar," Liv says looking at me. "Without it a guitar is just a guitar, it still sounds, but add an amplifier and..."

"You get rock music," Link interrupts.

"No," Ridley says. "Don't mind Hotrod, he is just so captivated by one thing."

_Yeah Ridley_

_The perfect couple_

Lena lets out a laugh and I can't help but to look at her and laugh along with her. Liv looks at us unsure of why we were laughing and if her British upbringing probably is stopping her from "getting it."

"So back to the thought at hand," Olivia says trying to get us to focus on the task at hand. It was the reason why Olivia made it her mission to send a message with Boo to have her call my 'aunts.' Something about what is going on, caused her to brave through the tunnels by herself without John who could have easily traveled her to New York, but of course she would have to tell him why she wanted to go to the Lunae Libri up here.

"Right, I am the guitar?" I say confused at the analogy.

"No, the amplifier," she says. "In the book that I found, there is mention of a person who has the powers to amplify the powers of others. Right before the storm what were you thinking about? What were you feeling?

"Powers?" I say. "You forget I am no caster."

"No but you are a Wayward," she says.

It is impossible, the cause of all this is me? Could it be true? I mean what was I thinking about the first time that we were caught up in the storm? I remember what I had for breakfast, and even the conversations that I had with Billie Jean, and the creepy old man that stare at us from the counter. I remember getting a piece of her chocolate chip pancakes and even when Lena said to me that line from Slaughter house…five.

"It was the Robert Frost poem," I say looking at Lena. "Remember?"

"Frost?" Liv says and I can see both Lena and Liv's faces blush. It was what I had been feeling the whole time. The feeling of the overwhelming waves crashing into me. It was that thought that even through the doubt that my love for her would never cease. "Come forth into the storm and rout and be my love in the rain…"

_Ethan, we are not alone you know_

Looking around I see that even Link had this embarrassed look on his face. And now it was my turn to have a flash of heat come from my face.

"Explains the Astral," Lena says.

"Astral?" Liv says. "Where did you get that name and…wait did you have a run in with an Astral?"

"We got the name from the Tabularius," Lena says. "He had the same freaked out look that you did when we mentioned the run in with it. What is it?"

The pages of the book continue to flip and flip until it reached the end. Liv frustrated goes to her notebook and begins to leaf through the pages, scanning the words. Finally coming to almost the last page she stops and then looks back up.

"An Astral is before the Order," Liv says. "Very little is known."

"Well what I know," I say. "Is that she invaded my dream, looked like Lena, talked like Lena, and caused the sheets in my room to catch on fire."

"A cast inside a dream?" Liv says astonished at the mere mention that someone could even do that. "Just like a Tabularius, they are from an ancient order."

"What does all this have to do with a compass," I say.

"A compass?" Liv says.

"Before we entered into that weird place where time didn't exist, we were shown a vision of the other Ethan giving another person a compass that Genevieve gave him to find his way home," Lena starts. "The Tabularius, told us that it was supposed to be for Ethan, and when the other soldier died it allowed the soul to find its way home."

"A soul anchor," Liv says. "It makes sense that Genevieve would give that to Ethan, so that even in death they would be together."

"Yeah our thoughts exactly," I say. "I think we have to find the compass."

"You mean to tell me you woke me up to come find a compass," Ridley says. "Not exactly the Book of Moons."

Liv looks up from her reading, and closing the book.

"It is much more serious than that," Liv says. "If they are from a time before the New Order, can you imagine what sort of rules do they have to adhere to?"

All of the sudden I hear a faint creaking sound. It is as if the entire conversation just fades away and as I stand to get a better location of the sound, I can see that Lena has continued to talk. More than likely Lena is mentioning something about the weirdness of everything and how the bookkeeper told us of a Changling, whatever that means. The sound is getting louder and it is as if I have heard it before. I can feel Link's hand on my arm, and as I turn I ask him if he can hear that.

"Hear what?" he says.

"I don't know, but I have heard it before," I say. It is then that I place the sound and turning around I call out Lena's name.

"The glass is about to shatter," I yell pointing up towards the glass ceiling. If it shatters then there is only thing that will happen, the water of the Turtle Pond will fill the room. Everything happens in slow motion. The trembling and the shattering of the glass, the water rushing to hit us from above, it is as if we are in some sort of movie, and either we drown or we swim. I take a couple of steps towards Lena, and then closing my eyes I feel an impact.

The next couple of seconds, as I close my eyes is as if I am waiting for the pain but I don't feel the water drops but still feel the pressure of the water. I can hear the deep breathing of someone, and the shuddering in the breath. Opening my eyes I can see the trembling in Lena's hands and her eyes still closed concentrating. It seems that she is holding the water up, because as I look up the water has come between a couple of feet from us.

"Can't" she struggles to say. "Can't hold it for much longer."

Looking over I see Link had already fallen on top of Ridley protecting her and Liv is underneath the table.

"Link," I yell out. It takes a couple of seconds for him to register that we aren't dead. Looking up he sees the water and then looks directly at me. "You are going to have to zap us out."

He looks around.

"I can't," he says. "Too many people."

Lena then falls to her knees and the water creeps closer to us. I can feel the coolness of the water. The pressure alone will more than likely kill us, not to mention the glass that is being held in the water. If we were able to withstand the pressure, which I am pretty sure that Lena, Ridley and Link would be able to, Liv and myself wouldn't be too lucky. The way Link looks at me, he knows what I am thinking and the pale color of his skin goes even whiter while Lena's color goes much more bright red as the stress.

It is then that I remember what Liv had just told me.

"Link," I yell out. "Grab Lena, I am an amplifier."

He holds Ridley's hand as he drags her along to the center where Lena is holding what seems to be the entire pressure from the water. A couple of drops hit me and I know that Lena is struggling to keep the water above us.

"Liv, grab onto my hand," I scream out reaching for her. She looks up and as her hand trembles out, she grabs a hold of my wrist. It is a theory, the theory that for some odd reason I have been able to amplify a Caster's powers. We all huddle in, Link holding onto Lena by the waist with one hand and Ridley with the other and me holding onto Link and Liv with the other arm. What if she is wrong? What is Liv's theory is just that, a theory and it really wasn't me?

Closing my eyes, I try to think, I try to concentrate. Searching out the darkness in my mind, I can only feel the hard quick thumping in my chest. The last thing that I remember is thinking of her smile. The way she made me feel the first time that I saw her, and when her lips touched mine for the first time.

All of the air in my chest begins to depart as if a vacuum had violently sucked it all out only to reverse it and push it back into my lungs. The next sensation is one of a large dip in a rollercoaster and then splashing into the water. It is the spluttering sound of everyone gasping trying to find out where we have landed, that is next. I can only see darkness, and then as my eyes focus, I see stars and dark buildings lit up by the individual windows.

"You did it," I hear Liv cheer. "You bloody well did it."

Looking around I see everyone splashing trying to stabilizes themselves. The only one not moving is Lena as she falls limp in Links arms.

"Lena," I say quickly and start to reach for her.

"She's okay," Link responds quickly. "She's okay; she just passed out."


	10. Chapter 10

**5.08**

**27****th**** and Broadway **

The moonlight bounces off the pond. The first think that I think of is my mother. She had taken me to Lake Moultrie once when I was ten. It was almost at the end of summer and well in Gatlin, there aren't that many things to do which of course always lead to extreme boredom, my mother however always found a way to make it exciting, we would take these imaginary adventures mostly there were places that my mother had always wanted to go. She would show me postcards of scenes and we would make up stories of our lives there.

That time we were watching the sunset over Lake Moultrie and although she didn't talk about it, something was different about that night. Something was on her mind, though she never told me what. Instead she brought out a postcard that had a picture of a lake in New York. It was obviously in the winter time, the trees had become a shadow of themselves, and even the contrast of the dark wood and the white show made for something that I had wish at that moment was real enough to touch.

"The cool wind is so rewarding because it is always a wonderful cause for hot chocolate," my mother says.

"With marshmallows?" I ask sitting next to her looking at her hands. She was always so animated about what she would say, and if you just squinted so, you can actually see it.

"But of course," she says. "How else can you enjoy it? Like this beautiful lake, you see how the picture is just so still? Well it is as if everything in the world just stopped for a second, just for a small enough time but for you to just have it all sink in."

"What's it like?" I ask looking at her.

"What is what like?" she asks back.

"Snow," I say.

She smiles, and of course she starts to explain all the things that you can do in snow, how you can make snow men and have snow ball fights, build forts and all these wonderful things.

"The best part of it," she says. "You see the lake, and how it is all frozen over?"

I nod.

"Well if it is hard enough, you can actually skate on it," she says with such an excitement on her voice. It was one of the things that I can remember now, looking at the peaceful Turtle Pond. Only a couple of minutes ago we were in the very center of it almost drowning.

Trying to stand, I feel the extreme nauseous. It is the feeling of having all of your air taken and then pushed back into your lungs violently. Now I can imagine why Link would rather walk, or drive than travel, the effects are extreme. Trying to stand I have to quickly sit back down. It seems that if my head is spinning.

"Woah," I say.

"Yeah man, it is a rough ride," he says. "Even I don't think I am tall enough to get on sometimes. How is Lena?"

Looking down to Lena, she is still breathing but her eyes are closed. Who would have thought that right now she would look so fragile, so delicate, and yet inside her, lays this great power that could almost destroy the entire world? My hand moves a couple of stray strands of hair that have moved covering her moon shape birthmark.

_L?_

There is no response.

"She is still out," I say looking and seeing now Ridley is looking around trying to find something.

"Hot Rod," she says. "It is time to get out of the open. Someone did just try and kill us."

It is true, although we have no time to think about it. The room just flooded out of nowhere. Lena wasn't casting and I am pretty sure that neither Link nor Ridley can do that. Looking around I see nothing but the dark trees and the distance office buildings that light up the dark sky.

Olivia is already trying to stand. I guess knowing her; she probably had John take her to experience the sensation of traveling. Honestly if I could choose between walking and traveling, I rather walk. It is true though that we have to get moving, pretty soon people will be coming. Looking again down to Lena, I try one more time to get her to wake up.

_Lena, time to wake up_

I feel a small twitch from her finger and then it is as if she is finally coming out of the exhaustion. The soft moan that is followed with the slow opening of her eyes is always a welcomed sight.

"Hey," I say trying hard to fight the emotions that have crept up. I knew she was fine, and that deep inside she would wake up, but there was always that small doubt that had always gnaw at me, because every caster fight it is as if who knows who will end up hurt. My hand reaches up to her cheek.

"Hope you are…" she starts before having to stop close her eyes and take a deep gulp down her throat. "…having fun...on your road trip."

"Yeah," I say laughing. Looking at Link, I wave him over to help me stand her up. Getting to my knees is as hard as it is after running basketball practice all day and having to get up in the morning. Once we are all on our feet, Ridley gives us the direction of where to walk. We don't walk back towards the Metropolitan, even though our car is there. The thought is that whoever might have wanted us dead might be waiting for us there. We walk in the opposite direction towards the nearest subway entrance, which according to Link is the quickest way to his and Ridley's 'pad.'

Once we are all on the subway and it starts to move, it seems as if we left the tension behind on the platform.

Link stands while all the rest of us actually sit down. To Link, traveling is no big deal but it seems that even Ridley hasn't quite gotten used to it yet. I can never seem to get use to Lena's fingers interlaced with mines. It is as if my hand was built for hers, and now that it is there, it feels sort of odd, like a dream. Lena places her head on my shoulder and as she does she lets out a deep sigh of relief.

_I think I know why Holden forgot._

Turning my head to look at her, the thought does catch me off guard.

"Why?" I say smiling.

_All I can think of when…everything…was…_

I tighten my hand around hers because I know what she is talking about.

_I know what you mean. I feel the same._

'This is 23rd street…'

Link puts his hand out to Ridley who takes it without question. It seems that we have reached our destination, and although I don't know where we are, it seems that this is where Link and Ridley lives. Somewhere on 23rd street in the middle of New York, is a place where they call home.

Walking out of the subway stations we follow Ridley and Link who walk quickly through the maze of people. The only good thing about it not being winter today is that we have not contracted pneumonia from our impromptu swim in Turtle Pond. You can still tell that Lena and Liv are shivering from the wet clothes and although I wish I could hold her, it would make it even worst.

Turning left and then right through an alley, we finally come to another street where a brown building stands in front of us.

_Impressive_

_What is?_

_All the security Rid has done_

_What do you mean?_

_All the turns, if you don't know what to look for, you wouldn't see all the binding spells along the way. It's no wonder Uncle Macon couldn't find Ridley, not even with Boo. _

_Remind me to get Ridley's to tell you how to do it back in Gatlin_

Lena nudges me as we stop and look at Ridley stopping in front of the brown old building. From the outside it really looks abandoned, and it would have been mistaken for it if there weren't lights on here and there from the windows.

"I am hungry Shrinky Dink," Ridley says putting her hands on Link's chest.

"Chinese?" He says turning to meet our gaze. "There is a good one down by Madison. Sounds like a plan?"

"Aren't you cold?" Olivia asks.

"Nah," he says. "One of the things about being Magneto."

Before Liv can ask again Link turns and takes off. We are there standing looking at him, until we hear someone clear their throat.

"Anytime now," Ridley says walking inside. We follow her to the elevator which is one of those very old steel kinds, the ones that probably were used for deliveries to a warehouse. In fact looking around now, the industrial lights and the large metal doors and this might have been some sort of manufacturing business in the past. Someone is getting off the elevator when we walk right by him. He of course stops and makes sure that he checks out Ridley that even soaking wet still can command the attention of any mortal man.

"Do me the honors Boyfriend," Ridley says pointing at the large metal doors. "I hate to touch it and with my Hot Rod gone, you will have to do."

Grabbing the doors I pull on them until it finally comes down. The elevator shutters to life and when told to press the fourth floor, the gears grind to life. It does take a little bit to get to the fourth floor and as it does move floor by floor, there is total silence. When finally we are on the fourth floor, walking down the hallway we see that there are only a couple of units per floor.

Ridley leads us down to the very last unit. The large red metal door welcomes us. Looking closely at it, I see that there is no knob, no key hole or anything. Ridley just clears her throat and places a hand on the door. It isn't but a couple of seconds before the door opens and as we walk through, I can feel the electrical buzzing of something in the air, almost as if the doorway has some sort of security system on it.

Passing through the door finally closes on its own, and from behind large metal bars spring into action snapping shut into the metal frame.

Inside, the place looks small, well small compared to the rooms inside Ravenwood. On the left hand side sits a very small coffee tables filled with takeout menus. Ridley slides off her boots and begins to walk down the hall when Lena stops her.

"Rid," she says calling out to her. Ridley of course oblivious to anyone but her, looks back as if amused that we are still there standing in what I think is the foyer. "Would you happen to have some clothes that we can borrow so that we don't catch pneumonia?"

She rolls her eyes.

"Let me see what I have," she says. "I might have something that Link gave me as a gag gift."

Olivia crossing her arms moves over to the nearby radiator that is near a window that is covered by some sort of dark film. Walking into the apartment I see Lena sit on a wooden chair obviously still tired. Kneeling next to her, I begin to untie her chucks which of course squish as she walked.

"Here let me get these off," I say undoing both of the laces and slipping the shoes and then the socks off. I can see the soft trembling from her feet and grabbing them I gently try to warm some sort of feeling back into them.

"Oooh, Boyfriend," I hear coming Ridley say behind me. "I have next. I am in dire need of a massage."

Lena shoots Ridley a look. Ridley of course has come out of the hallway in a bath robe, toweling off her hair. The bath robe of course is made for a child, or probably she cut off the bottom part of it, because if she were to just bend over, then I am pretty sure we will get more than what we would like to. I of course knowing full well where Lena's eyes are right now, am keeping mines directly on Lena's feet.

"What?," she says. "I might even keep my clothes on, out of respect to you. Anywhoo, here so you don't die of pneumonia as you so dramatically explained."

She hands both Lena and Olivia a pair of shirts and sweatpants.

_Can I look up yet?_

"Yes," she says with a hint of disgusts in her voice. "I tell you sometimes..."

Looking up I see both Lena and Olivia have opened the shirt to show that typical 'I heart NY' logo on the front of it. It seems that Ridley had walked over to the kitchen. Ridley without shoes it is like a ninja, I barely hear the footsteps.

"The bathroom is down the hall to the right," she yells out from the kitchen. "I didn't know your sizes so I got the first thing that I could find."

Standing up, Lena is already upset at Ridley.

"What about Ethan," she says raising her voice.

"What about him?" she calls back. "Don't know where Hot Rod keeps his clothes, not my business you know."

I hear the footsteps now and see Ridley pop out her head with a spoon in her mouth and a pint of ice cream on the other. As she removes the spoon she does it slowly, trying to make it as seductively as possible. This of course causes me to quickly look away. This is why I wasn't too broken up about Link leaving Gatlin a month ago, because I knew that just like Link would follow Ridley anywhere, I knew that Ridley would follow Link anywhere. She can deny it, and hide all she wants but I know that look, and from what I can see now, Ridley is more in love with Link than ever. She just does this to Lena to get a rise out of her.

Looking straight at me, my eyes catches her, the gold Dark Caster eyes. It lingers there for a couple of seconds before turning to see Lena. "As far as I can say, Boyfriend over there, would look much better bare chest, wouldn't you say Mary Poppins?"

Liv immediately tries to rebuff what Ridley just said.

"Don't mind her Olivia," Lena says grabbing her by the hand. She turns back to me and smiles. "I will try to find you some clothes. In the meantime, behave...and I am not talking to Ethan."

"Ouch Cuz," Ridley says obviously enjoying this. "Don't you trust me? And here I was going to offer him some of my strawberry ice cream, you know, show a little bit of that 'southern' hospitality that us Ravenwoods are known for."

Lena walks away without saying another word. I putting both my hands to my mouth being to blow hot air into them. Walking over to the sofa, I sit on it, and look at the things around me, posters of old movies, and bars litter the walls.

There is some loud clicks on the door and turning to see it, the bolts magically move sliding one by one until finally the door opens and there in the hallway is Link holding one brown bag that seems to be the food in one hand, and a blue/pink box held with strings in another.

"Honey, I am home," Link says yelling it out.

There is nothing but silence for the next couple of seconds. Link takes off his shoes right where we did. It seems that it is a unwritten rule, could be Ridley or Link who knows, but if I know Link, it is more than likely Ridley's.

"Rid?" Link says looking at me. I point at the kitchen area. Link puts the brown bag on the nearby table and then walks over to the kitchen entryway.

"I think he is talking to you Boyfriend," she says. "Because I don't know who Honey, or Babe, or Sweetie is."

He walks over to me and staying next to me gives me the sign.

"Well if it is then I guess this Cronut that I have from Macy's Bakery is for him then," he says raising his voice so that he is sure that Ridley hears him.

There is no noise from the kitchen, but it is as if I can could hear her coming to the entryway of the kitchen.

"Make sure that it is from Macy's on Madison because if it isn't, then it is a piece of crap," she says. Link walks over to the kitchen and holding it with two fingers dangles it in front of the entryway, until I finally see Ridley snatches the small box and disappears into the kitchen. Link smiles because of his triumph and as he walks back he looks at me.

"Hey man aren't you cold?" he says.

By then Lena and Liv are already out in their newly given clothes. She hands me a shirt and some jeans.

"Oh I am sorry, I hope that it was okay," Lena says. Opening the shirt I have to look at Lena and then at Link.

"You actually kept this?" I say opening the shirt. It was an authentic Stonewall Jackson High School Basketball Practice t-shirt. Seeing how I quit the team in my junior year, I didn't really see the point of keeping mines. It was sort of tradition though looking at it. The thing is that you wouldn't keep it after the season was over, you would give it to your girlfriend, sort of our way of giving them our class rings. I remember because I gave Lena mines. She of course didn't see the meaning, but as I hold it in my hands, I know exactly what it means. If it is here, and smelling it, I know that Link hasn't worn it, because it has been washed, know that he actually gave it to Ridley and the oddest thing is, that she probably accepted it.

"Not really," Link says grabbing it back from me.


	11. Chapter 11

**5.09**

**Latrunculus in Time Square**

There are always groups of people in life. In school they are called cliques, you know the nerds, or the jocks, the popular and even the cheerleaders, there are always around and either you are in with one or other if you are lucky. Growing up in a house of authors who have written many many books, you find yourself in the fated position of becoming a nerd. I think that is why Link and I could relate a little bit, because we were always trying to join in cliques or social circles that we were never part of. He was always trying to get away from the religious side of his mother, so of course he listened to music that was completely on the opposite side. I on the other side couldn't become a nerd or outcast, so I made the opposite choice and joined, the Emily Asher's Savannah Snows' of the world.

It was only until I met Lena that I felt like she knew me for the first time in all my life, and the weird thing was, she still wanted to be around me. Looking at her now talking to Ridley, and Olivia, I can't help to think that there is still a world that I am not a part of.

"So you mean to tell me that you had an encounter with a Latrunculus?" Olivia says excited at it. I really don't know what a latr-whatever is, but Ridley and even Lena know what it is. Well probably not Ridley, at least not in the way that Olivia knows.

"I don't know what a Latrun-whatever is," Ridley says. "But all I know that a couple of days into our visit to this lovely city, someone took something that was very important to me and they told me that there was a guy that could find anything, anywhere, and all they need is the person's memory of it."

Lena turns and looks at me and Link.

"It is sort of a like a blood hound," she says to us. "I have never met one, but it was one of the people that Uncle Macon told…us…to avoid. Isn't that right Rid?"

Looking at Ridley she shrinks away.

"Well Cuz, it was important," she says.

"The thing is Ethan," Olivia starts to say. "A Latrunculus is sort of a seer for objects, and the dangerous thing about that is, if there were ever a man that can track down a person is this one. They have no alliance, but one thing I can tell you, Ridley is right about him being the only person that could possibly find the location of the compass."

Lena moving her hand in a circular fashion causes the fire in the fireplace grows. Our clothes hanged in front of it, she has shied away from the conversation. Sitting next to her in front of the fire I can tell that she is thinking about something.

_L, you're worried aren't you?_

_Kind of hard not to, Uncle Macon told me that my mother probably found me using one of these people. When I turned fifteen, every three to four months they would move me from place to place, trying to hide me. Of course they didn't tell me from what or who._

_So how does Macon know that your mother used it to find you?_

_I don't know, you know how he is, not very talkative. _

I grab her hand and she just sighs. It was the way our lives had been for the last couple of years. I guess I could understand Lena's frustrations, when all ever wanted was to be together.

_Probably who knows, if we find this compass everything will change._

_You think?_

_Yeah_

"Okay," Lena says. "Let's do it."

Olivia and Ridley stop there talking and look back at Lena. Ridley of course wanted to seek this finder, while Olivia was saying that it would be too dangerous to trust them. Link of course would go in any direction that we decide and I am behind Lena in whatever she wants.

Ridley starts to tell us that the finder is located in a bar near Time Square. The only time he is 'available' as she puts it, is in the midnight hour. She says something about it being the most opportune time to find objects that maybe in the Mortal realm or in the Caster realm.

"Let's just hope that the compass is in the Mortal realm and in New York and in the next block over," Link says. "Not looking forward to any Caster tunnels or drives to another graveyard, especially with the fact that we always seem to attract the worst kind of people and Casters."

It is then that there is a knock on the door. We all look to each other as if we were expecting someone to come. It is obvious that no one would know that Lena, Olivia or I would be here, and the way Link and Ridley look at each other, it is clear that they don't know who is at the door.

"No one knows we are here," Ridley says. "Shrinky Dink, do me the favor of looking who is at the door?"

Link of course hesitates not realizing that out of all of us, he is the strongest when it comes to strength. After a second he stands up and walks over to the door. We all move to the kitchen and wait there until the all clear. From the kitchen we can the locks and the door opening. Everything goes silent and then just as I am about to come back to the living room, I hear the door slam shut and the locks going back into place.

"All clear" I hear Link call out.

Walking back I see that Link has a FedEx box in his hand. He looks at it as if he doesn't know what it is. We all seem to be feeling the relief, all except Ridley and Link.

"You weren't expecting a package?" I ask Link.

"Dude no one knows we are here," he responds. "Rid made sure that no one would ever know that we were here."

"So who's the package for?" Olivia asks. "A previous tenant?"

He hands me the package. Looking at it, I can't help but think that this is a joke. The package actually says my name; it is addressed to 'Ethan Lawson Wate.' It is impossible, that anyone would even know that I am here. How? Who? I am guessing the lack of response causes Lena to see who the package is addressed to.

She grabs the package from my hand and begin to ask Link if he knew who was the sender?

"No," he says. "The delivery man didn't have the information. All he said is that they had the package for almost seven months with explicit instructions to deliver it on this day at this time."

Lena looks at me.

"Well," I say. "Funny thing is that this isn't the weirdest thing to happen to us."

She turns the box over and rips the tab off. The package opens and inside I see what seems to be a folder. Pulling it out, she runs her finger over the cover and smiles. Handing it to me she is careful in making sure that I grab it fully.

The leather bound folder has the picture of a crow. The way it looks it reminds me of something that I had seen before. It isn't until I open the cover that I see the handwriting. It is as if the air in the entire room has been sucked from out of it.

'To my boy Ethan, from Amma'

It was enough. Actually it was too much. The emotion that has been welling up inside of me has been made apparent and putting it down on the table I walk over to the bathroom. Leave it to Amma to make a grand entrance in a way that only she could have pulled off. It does leave me wondering, if she already knew this would happen why didn't she prepare me?

Sitting on the toilet seat, I can't help but wonder what else she had been keeping from me. Why wouldn't she tell me that she would be leaving, and that I would have to deal with this now? I hear a small knock on the door.

_Ethan it is me, can you let me in?_

Turning to the door I unlock it and open the door. Lena slides into the bathroom leaning on the sink as she closes the door. She doesn't talk, but I can see in her hands is the folder, which looking at it now is a very thin book.

_She knew…she knew and didn't tell me_

_I know_

Looking up at her, I see her concern. It is as if she could she would take away all the pain in my world and keep it for her own. I know the look, because I wanted so badly to do it for her when it all started, to take away her doubt and her rejection, but just as if I can still hear her in my head, Amma saying the one thing that I needed to hear.

'Sometimes you just need through it, to get to the other side.'

She hands me the book and looking at it, it take a couple of seconds just to reach out to grab it. It was something that she had done in secret, and if it was important enough for her to do this, it would be important enough for me to read it.

I flip through the first couple of pages and start to read.

'_You may not understand this, but sometimes we need to go through things in order to reach the correct destined path. I am sorry that I could not tell you then what I know now. It will be hard to accept this, but I did it for your own good, for what you are about to go through is something that only you and Lena can go through. You mind your manners with Lena, and take care of your daddy while I am gone. I am very proud of you and know that your mama would be too._

_Amma_

_P.S. Don't you roll your eyes at me Ethan Lawson Wate, I can still see you from the other side and will not hesitate to tear open a hole in the sky and knock some sense into you. And don't you go letting any Latrunculus touch you for his touch is not one you want on his mind.'_

Leave it Amma to always know what I am doing even if she can't see me. Although looking around, I don't know if that is even possible. I don't think that even death could hold Amma back from the ones she loves. Probably broke numerous rules with this package but it do make sense that she would be looking out for me. Turning the next pages, I find that it is all blank, the entire book.

"Why would she send an entire book for just this small note?" I say to Lena.

"No clue," she says. "I do seem to recall, Amma saying something about you minding your manners. Now why would she say something like that?"

Looking away from her, I feel the flash of redness creep up my face. The first thought that pops into my mind is the one that I have been pushing back deep, deep into the back part of it. A flash and then back to the Stonewall Jackson playbook.

_Hmm hmm…I thought so._

"What?" I say looking back with a smile. "I am not the one who goes parking with guys."

The mouth opens and she reaches out to push me, before I grab her hands and pull her close to me. The book falling to the ground with a thud and I don't really care, all that matters right now is the one that is in my arms right now.

"Dude I don't want to be the one who blocks your time with Lena, but we have to get going," I hear Link from the other side of the door. Lena clears her throat and tugs at her shirt. She looks at it, and then gives me a face.

"It looks umm, good?" I say trying to sound as honest as I can.

"Liar," she says opening the door. Walking over to the living room, I see that Olivia is already grabbing the shirts and jeans from off the line. She tests them and then tosses us our shirts and pants. It seems that the couple of hours in front of a fire have dried the soak shirts and pants.

"Although now the clothes smell oddly like wood," she says walking pass us to the bathroom. Just like Lena, I am sure that Olivia cannot wait to get back into her own clothes. The neon colors are never a good choice when it comes to clothes, unless you want to be seen in the dark. Lena gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and hands me the book. She follows Olivia to the bathroom to change.

Once ready, I open the backpack and put the book inside. Sliding my hand into my pocket I feel Amma's old charm, and know that she must have left it knowing that I would need it. She had given a similar charm to Macon once to protect Lena from the visions. From that sort of assumption, I guess this charm that Amma never took off was what was protecting me from everything going crazy.

The ride back into Times Square isn't but a couple of minutes but as we climb up the stairs to the ground level, Ridley stops us.

"Once you are on the sidewalk, cross the street and go into the bar called Temporus," Ridley tells Lena. "Ask to speak with a guy name Larry."

"Wait you guys not coming?" Olivia says.

"Better if we don't," Link says. "Not after what happened the last time we were in Temporus. You know how Rid gets."

Ridley turns and looks at Link.

"Me?" she says. "As I remember correctly, it wasn't me that threw Larry through the brick wall."

"Well only after he grabbed you," Link said.

This of course brings a whole new level of danger to what we are trying to do. I wonder if it is worth it. Is all this worth it? I can already see that Lena is ready to go, the fearless girl that went up against Abraham Ravenwood, because I need the Book of Moons.

"You guys ready?" I say to both Lena and Olivia. They both nod and as we emerge from the subway stairs, the first thing that grabs my attention is the lights, the dozens and dozens of lights towering overhead. The cars beeping, the people walking by, it is a sensory overload of what we are used to. The most people we had ever seen in one spot in Gatlin were no more than seventy-five people for the reenactments that we have every year. Looking around, I see that if I just sat and counted, it would definitely be more.

"There," I hear Olivia call out grabbing my hand. Looking over to where she is pointing, we see a door with a sign above it.

'Temporus'

We walk towards the door and when finally there Liv just stops. Looking up at us, I can't help but feel the same caution that she does. My hand reaches for the door and as I pull it, I am immediately made aware of the danger that we are stepping into.

The bar looks like the scene from Star Wars which of course knowing Link, he probably made the same comment to Ridley. No one lifts there head, until the bartender looks over to us.

"Well lookie who we have here," the large muscular man says. "We don't serve your kind."

"I beg your pardon," Olivia says. "We are just looking for someone."

"Wasn't talking to you sweetheart, you are more than welcome here" the bartender says. "Who are you looking for?"

"Thank you for the compliment, I am actually looking for Larry," she says.

The whole bar gets quiet, and it is as if the name brings an air of trouble. The bartender looks to us and then taking out a rag he cleans the bar. Liv walks just a little bit closer and then sitting on the stool; she leans in and whispers to the bartender. After a couple of minutes he finally smiles and nods towards a door at the back of the bar.

"Come along you two," she says. "We are in luck; Timothy here actually remembered that Larry is in the back."

What I wouldn't get to have a Wookie right next to me right now, or at least a light saber. The eyes that stare at us are like the first day of school all over again. That moment where everyone was either curious or hated me, is in the faces of everyone who is there. Pausing for a second, I let Lena walk pass me, making sure that I can see her in front of me. As soon as we approach the door, a big bodyguard comes and blocks our passage.

"Tony," the bartender yells back. "They are okay. Well at least the British girl is, the other two are okay by association."

He nods and opening the door, we finally walk through. I wonder who the bartender was talking about.

_Wait, did he mean me?_

_Huh?_

_When he said that snide remark about my kind?_

The door finally closes and without a response to my question, there in front of us stands a little old man with a blind fold. This is who we are all scared of? Is this the one that Link grabbed and tossed through a wall?

"I hear someone is looking for me," the little old man says.

"Yes," Lena says. "We are."

He lifts up his head and then smiles.

"Been looking forward to meeting you both," he says. "Caster and Wayward, so sorry for the unusual hostility from my bar mates, they don't take kindly to Waywards here, especially you. Now before the questions and the request of my services, which I know is the reason why you are here; there is a question or a riddle that I have to ask in order to see if you qualify even for my time. Please let me know when you are ready."

Liv looks to me and I look to Lena, of course Ridley would forget this one key thing. It is definitely something that she should have mentioned.

"Okay," I say.

"Great," he says. "Where we are, there are many contradictions, life is a contradiction. The only thing that matters is these two contradictions in life."


	12. Chapter 12

**5.09**

**Latrunculus in Time Square**

Pop quizzes are always the worst. There isn't a test that I do not like and especially on the spot. The thing is that it isn't really the test that concerned me, but it was my expectations of the result. Perception is everything and in a small town like Gatlin, you are pigeonholed from the moment you are born. It is always about your family and what you do. The Wates were always in Gatlin, from the long line of writers and intellectuals. My father once told me that one of oldest Wates started the printing press down in Savannah. Of course who can even verify that?

Amma always made sure that I was on top of my studies and that I kept the Wate name in good standing. Her crosswords were always a way to expand both her and mines vocabulary. I could still remember the day I came home with a low grade because of a pop quiz.

'A.N.T.I.C.I.P.A.T.I.O.N as in you better be in anticipation or an absolute certainty of a good butt whupping if you come home with another low mark, your mama and your daddy didn't raise no dummy, and neither did I. And I don't care if they give a pop quiz every single day of the school year, you better be prepared for them.'

Standing in front of this old man, I find myself in another one of those pop quizzes, and all the anticipation in the world couldn't have prepared me for this. The way he stands with his smile, the smugness of his words, I am pretty sure that no one has answered the questions.

Think, Ethan. The only thing that I can think of is the days I spent lost in the Other World. How time just was so endless, one day with my mom was like three weeks back with Lena.

"Time," I say. I don't turn to see Lena's expression, or even Liv's, I just stare at Larry who of course was humming some ridiculous song. The simple word causes him to stop humming. Larry ears perk up and it seems that I must have said something that actually made sense. I of course am only going on my instincts.

"What about it?" He says.

"Time is endless, no beginning and no end, it has no boundaries," I say seeing the chain that he wears. It has many loops that interject each other, almost as if it was eternal. "But, where we are Time Square is in a location that has a boundary, which of course is a contradiction."

"Hmm," he says putting up a finger to his temple. "Interesting theory and I guess one can argue that side of location. Okay, I will give you that as one contradiction. You still have one more left."

Trying to think of any other contradiction but I can't, it is as if a wall has been erected in my mind. I can feel my heart begin to beat, and a little bit of nervousness creeping up inside of me. It isn't until I feel Lena's hand grab mine that I can smile and know that it would be okay.

"Love," I hear Lena say.

"Love?" Larry repeats. "A contradiction?"

"Love is always a contradiction when all we want to do is live our lives the longest to reach the old age," she starts. "It is only when you love that you realize that you would give your life for the one you love, to contradict what we always wanted."

He stands up and then taking a step forward he stops and smiles.

"What an interesting thought," he says. "Love as a contradiction. I mean on one side, I can see how being in love can make you do things that you know are foolish, like for instance, coming to see me. Why have you come to see me?"

His steps are slow, but deliberate, as if he is trying to make sure that we see him moving. My hand tightens around Lena, and I pull her over to one side. Amma warning still echoes in my mind about his touch.

"We are trying to find an item," I say nodding to Olivia to move away from him. She does more ever so lightly, trying not to cause any noise. It is as if we are all dancing a slow waltz around the room. "Did we pass your test?"

"Depends on what you are looking for," he says putting out his hand. "Come on now, don't be shy. The only way to know what it is, you know because of my condition is for me to touch the person who is looking."

I nod no to Lena and Olivia.

_How else will we get what we need?_

_I trust Amma, and if she warned us by sending us a message, then I'd listen to her._

"Hold on, let me see if I get this straight," I say trying to buy us time. "You can find anything?"

It is then that I remember what he said. About the only way to know the item is to touch the person who is looking. I point to Liv who is nearest to my backpack. Looking at Larry he is still moving, still walking slowly, like a snake trying to find its target. The blindfold can only mean that he can't see anything. Liv starts to bend down just a little bit taking away her eyes from Larry, which of course causes the very smallest noise from her shoes, which causes Larry immediately to move towards her.

"Anything," he says. "Anywhere."

This gives Liv enough time to pick up the bag and handing it to me.

_Going to open the bag, need you to cough in the opposite direction when I count to three so that we mask the sound, okay?_

"How?" I say. "Wouldn't you need to take off your bandage in order to see?"

Lena nods, and as I count down from three at the same time I unzip and she cough, which of course causes Larry to stop walking.

"Come now," he says. "I thought you needed my assistance. If you are going to play games, then please do leave."

Looking down in the open bag, I see it there. It was like she knew I would take it. Just like the book that she mailed, the only other person that knew me, other than Lena, gave me everything that I could need. It was as if she Amma could see it happening, and figured out what I would need and how I would be compelled to take it. It was the only thing that I know that could help now. It was what protected me back then, and now I know that it would protect me now. Unrolling it, I grab it and dropping the bag, it makes a loud bang.

"I have part of the item," I say. "Does that make it easier?"

"Part of the item?" He says lifting a ear as if to try to hear something that I cannot. "Here let me touch it, all I need is a...single...touch."

Very slowly I inch my hand towards his, and as it touches, the movement is fast and unexpected. It is as if a vice the grip is as strong as a dog grabbing onto a bone. I can now see the reason why Link would have grab this guy and tossed him through a wall. The way he holds onto someone, it is as if he feeds this way.

Wait...does he feed this way?

Looking up to his face, I could see that his smile that was once smug, is now gone and all that I see is a level of anger. His hand releases mine and as the item drops to the ground I bend down to pick it up. Removing the handkerchief of Sullah the Prophet I slide the compass case back into the bag.

"Hmm," he says. "Anticipation, and preparation always leads to realization. The question is, when did you know?"

"I didn't," I say. "It was another contradiction. You never really want to help anyone. I mean why would you, what is in it for you? Then it is when I realize that…that you feed off the memories…the memories of the people you touch. It is the reason why you keep the blindfold, to hide the color of your eyes. No one would trust a Dark Caster would they?"

He lifts his leg placing it on the arm of the chair. The smile that was gone a couple of seconds ago, has now returned.

"A contradiction," he says. "Why would anyone trust a Dark Caster, it is after all in their nature to be as untrusting as possible. It is I guess like the girl said…like love. To do the opposite of what we are all here to do. I mean I could find anything, but never a way to change who I was meant to be. I tried to help people find the one thing that they have lost, a sort of exchange, memories for information, but people started to refuse, started to try and compel me to do things that I didn't want. They saw the color of my eyes and thought, he is dark, he is up to no good, his intentions are never to be trusted. So...I let it finally happen...the change was complete. I was no longer a contradiction; I was merely an 'inevitability.' There was never a choice."

He begins to stand and then has to stop himself. It seems that whatever was being given to him from the compass pouch did not have the desire effect on him. His hands grabs the sides of the chair and you could see the muscles in his arms tense until he finally falls back into the chair.

"A broken tree in the middle of field," he starts to say. "Taken from the ground by someone old. It is a special item, a way, the path, the door, the key, to close to open to lock to loose. Path is through the three cities with the ocean to your left, and then to a small cottage on Elm, church bells, and a train whistle in the background, the gravel road crunches, and then finally wind chimes, bottles on the trees."

He lets out a loud sigh and then finally collapse into the chair. You could see the heavy breathing, the tired slump of the body.

"Well that is a first," he cracks his neck and then moving his hand a door at the other end of the room opens. "You got what you came for, now it is best that you leave. This door will lead you to the alley. If you go through the other one, well let's just say that not even a Keeper trick would get you out of it. You see, don't think my kind takes a shine to Waywards. We the forgotten step-children with no guide usually tick off a couple of us Dark Casters."

Remembering the looks that they gave us coming in, I think this time, I would trust what Larry says. Just as we are about to reach the door, Larry calls out to us.

"Penn Station," he says. "Concourse level, look for a guy name Bob. He has something that your friends were looking for. Tell him that I sent you and he will give you the item."

"Thanks," Lena says walking through the doorway. It is of course not like any doorway, because as I walk through it, the door behind us disappears and all that is left is a brick wall. We quickly walk towards the nearby sidewalk and then to the subway station entrance. The whole time I could feel my heart beating as fast as it could without stopping. Once on the platform I see both Link and Ridley there waiting for us.

In the distance I can see the light of the coming train. We don't talk, but we acknowledged that Link and Ridley was there. The screeching of the train brakes brings me out of my daze; it seems that putting Lena in a dangerous situation has that effect on you. I can't believe that Link would do that, it was as if he was a different person. He always had my back but now things were different.

_Don't think about it._

I shake my head no. It was Lena of course trying to help but how could I not to. The thought of everything that I had to do to get back to her, is enough to cause the emotions to bottle up from the inside.

_Just the thought of losing you_

_Don't think about it_

Her hand grabs mine and as I look at the different stops, I see that the next one.

'Next stop 59 street, transfer is available to the A, C, E'

I stand up and walk towards the door. Link and Ridley looking at me stand up behind me.

"Dude," Link says before I put up my hand.

"Not right now man," I say. Olivia and Lena both looking at the nearest map know exactly where I am going. It isn't what I want to do; it is what the right thing to do is. I am pretty sure that Larry had gotten Link, and who knows what happens when he touches you.

Once we meet up with Bob, he gives us a key to a worker locker across the street. I hand it to Ridley.

"Larry said you were looking for something," I say. "It is across the street."

She looks at the key like she cannot believe what we just did. Standing in front of the self-serve locker place, we wait for them this time around. Once they come back outside, they both stand next to us. There in the sidewalk in front Penn Station, it feels as if the weight of their shoulders has been lifted. The gold eyes of Ridley looks straight at me, and then the serious face, changed to a smile. A nudge from Link and finally Ridley speaks.

"Thank you…Ethan," she says. It is weird, hearing my name coming from her voice. The only other time that I have heard it was when she was looking for me, when she was working for Saraphine.

_Yes, thank you._

"You're welcome," I say.

Lena stands at her tippy toes and giving me a kiss on my cheek, she grabs my hand. Even though Ridley's eyes are gold, I know that inside her is the Ridley that Lena knows to be good, the one that fought John Breed in the Great Barrier, even though she did not have her powers. I can see how she looks at Link, and know that just like Lena, Link has saved Ridley, in more ways than one.

"Hey Rid," Lena says.

She looks over to Lena.

"Think we can crash in your place," she says shyly. "I don't know about you, but I think being up for almost two days kind of has its tolls on your body."

She walks over and placing her arm over her shoulder. She smiles and then looks over to Link.

"Like old times, Cuz, we can even cook up some marshmallows if you want," she says. She looks around trying to orient herself and when she sees the nearby cross street she grabs Lena by her hand and with a spring in her step, Ridley pulls Lena across the street.

We walk back with Ridley through the main streets, until we reach an 24 hour convenience store. The man behind the registers, greets us but of course keeps his eyes on us. I mean who wouldn't keep their eyes on Ridley who walks around with less and less clothes on, with her boyfriend that is built like a tank with sunglasses on. We probably look like a gang of rockers, well at least the Caster do, me and Liv just look like probably wannabe's.

Lena goes to the cooler and opening the door she grabs something that I cannot see. She hides behind her back while she smiles.

"Chips?" she tells me.

"What do you have behind your back?" I say walking towards her.

"Hmmm," she says. "A surprise? But first please...I am tired and hungry and I don't know which one is going to win. I may end up with a chip in my mouth fast asleep in your arms."

The thought makes me laugh, but I guess after the day that we had, the fact that it is already the next day means that we survived someone trying to kill us by drowning us. We survived meeting some sort of dream catcher slash finder Dark Caster, and now from what I can tell, from the pounding headache, we are deliriously happy because we are extremely tired.

"Okay," I say. "But the mental picture in my head is extremely sexy. It is the things that Frost and Bukowski only dream of."

_The dream of a chip, the same as all the others, fighting for a way out of its prison. The plastic prison that is actually its protection from the one who will devour it._

"Wait, what did you say?" I say.

She turns around and looks at me laughing.

"What?" she asks. "You didn't like my ode to potatoes chips?"

The far keep, the image comes back to my mind. It is Ethan's prison, the one place he can't get out of. It is the same prison that Genevieve is in, waiting in Greenbrier for Ethan to come home. What did Larry say in his ramblings?

"The path, the door, the key," I repeat. "That is it. The compass is the way out of the prison that they are in; it is Ethan's path back to Genevieve. It could be the way out of this mess, and the reason why everything seems to be off-center."

Her smiles goes to a confuse look as she brings around from behind her back the two chocolate milk drink in her hands.

"Actually I was talking about potatoes chips," she says. "Today was just so stressful, and I really can't think about it. Tomorrow we can talk about the compass, okay?"

She hands me the chocolate drink. There in my hands is the one thing that always brought me some sort of happiness before I met Lena.

_Okay, okay, for the rest of the night no more talk of today._

"So where are the ding dongs," I say turning to see the snack shelves. "Can't have chocolate milk without ding dongs."


End file.
